white-collar crime

phrase

: crime that typically involves stealing money from a company and that is done by people who have important positions in the company : crime committed by white-collar workers
Embezzlement is a white-collar crime.

Examples of white-collar crime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Scammers are getting more sophisticated, says Steve Weisman, a professor at Bentley University and an expert on white-collar crime. Christopher Elliott, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Mar. 2023 The White House’s focus on white-collar crime is alive and well in other areas as well, lawyers speaking at the WSJ Risk & Compliance Forum said, pointing to the Justice Department’s focus on sanctions as an example. Jennifer Williams-Alvarez, WSJ, 10 May 2022 Switzerland’s new attorney general is pushing parliament to give his office more tools to fight white-collar crime. Jamey Keaten, ajc, 29 Apr. 2022 While Jonah desires to pull away from his parent's life of white-collar crime, Charlotte has changed her mind and now fully backs them up. Katherine Tinsley, Good Housekeeping, 20 Feb. 2022 See All Example Sentences for white-collar crime

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Cite this Entry

“White-collar crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-collar%20crime. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Legal Definition

white-collar crime

noun
white-col·​lar crime
ˈhwīt-ˈkä-lər-
: crime that is committed by salaried professional workers or persons in business and that usually involves a form of financial theft or fraud (as in securities dealing)
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