crime

noun

1
: an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government
especially : a gross violation of law
2
: a grave offense especially against morality
3
: criminal activity
efforts to fight crime
4
: something reprehensible, foolish, or disgraceful
It's a crime to waste good food.
crimeless adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for crime

offense, sin, vice, crime, scandal mean a transgression of law.

offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.

at that school no offense went unpunished

sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.

the sin of blasphemy

vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.

regarded gambling as a vice

crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.

the crime of murder

scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.

a career ruined by a sex scandal

Examples of crime in a Sentence

She paid dearly for her crimes. evidence that helped them solve the crime He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit. the recent increase in violent crime Being single is not a crime. There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.
Recent Examples on the Web Based on surveillance video images, police connected the same suspect to all three crimes. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Students and their families were already worrying about gun crime, anti-Chinese sentiment and the ability to stay on work visas after graduation. Cate Cadell, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Nationwide, police departments are struggling to solve crimes. Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024 The show focused on James St. Patrick (played by Omari Hardwick), a drug dealer nicknamed Ghost whose only wish was to leave the world of crime behind and become a legitimate businessman. Damien Scott, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 On the day of the alleged crime, officials said, deputies responded to the child's home for a report of a burglary in process after the child's father called 911. USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 Hall also wanted readers to feel the empathy that has to go alongside quality crime reporting, especially since her character is a city-dwelling Black woman investigating a suburban white mom’s disappearance. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Chris Eberhart is a crime and US news reporter for Fox News Digital. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2024 Under normal circumstances, this party might be a relief for Jake — or even a way to demonstrate how much he’s accomplished abroad as a crime reporter for a top Japanese newspaper. Christian Holub, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "wrongdoing, sin," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin crīmin-, crīmen "accusation, charge, indictment, source of an accusation, misdeed, offense," probably from crī-, variant stem of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" + -men, resultative noun suffix (probably originally "decision," then "judicial decision, indictment") — more at certain entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crime was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near crime

Cite this Entry

“Crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

crime

noun
1
: the doing of an act forbidden by law or the failure to do an act required by law especially when serious
2
: criminal activity
the war on crime
3
: an act that is sinful, foolish, or disgraceful
it's a crime to waste good food

Legal Definition

crime

noun
1
: conduct that is prohibited and has a specific punishment (as incarceration or fine) prescribed by public law compare delict, tort
2
: an offense against public law usually excluding a petty violation see also felony, misdemeanor

Note: Crimes in the common-law tradition were originally defined primarily by judicial decision. For the most part, common-law crimes are now codified. There is a general principle “nullum crimen sine lege,” that there can be no crime without a law. A crime generally consists of both conduct, known as the actus reus, and a concurrent state of mind, known as the mens rea.

3
: criminal activity
Etymology

Middle French, from Latin crimen fault, accusation, crime

More from Merriam-Webster on crime

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