Did you know?
Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibition and prevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment. Thus, many of the people involved—legislators, social workers, probation officers, judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word usually refers only to scholars and researchers.
Examples of criminology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Although Tinley Park police did not assist in the making of the film, Minn did interview victim’s relatives, a former Lane Bryant employee who knew the lone survivor, a criminology professor and paramedics who were on the scene at the time.
—
Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Decades of research in sociology, criminology and public health demonstrate that youth behavior is deeply shaped by peer networks, identity formation and perceived future horizons.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
The families of the four students murdered near the University of Idaho in 2022 have filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, where their killer, Bryan Kohberger, had been pursuing his PhD in criminology.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
The victims’ families argued that the university, located just across Idaho’s border with Washington state, failed to take meaningful action after receiving complaints about Kohberger, at the time a criminology graduate student.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminology
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Decades of research in sociology, criminology and public health demonstrate that youth behavior is deeply shaped by peer networks, identity formation and perceived future horizons.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
The families of the four students murdered near the University of Idaho in 2022 have filed a lawsuit against Washington State University, where their killer, Bryan Kohberger, had been pursuing his PhD in criminology.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
The victims’ families argued that the university, located just across Idaho’s border with Washington state, failed to take meaningful action after receiving complaints about Kohberger, at the time a criminology graduate student.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for criminology
Cite this Entry
“Criminology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminology. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnäl-ə-jē 
: a scientific study of crime, of criminals, and of their punishment or correction
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkri-mə-ˈnä-lə-jē
: the scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon, of criminals, and of penal treatment
criminologically
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
