crime
Americannoun
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an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited.
- Synonyms:
- felony, tort, misdemeanor, wrong
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criminal activity and those engaged in it.
to fight crime.
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the habitual or frequent commission of crimes.
a life of crime.
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any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin.
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a foolish, senseless, or shameful act.
It's a crime to let that beautiful garden go to ruin.
noun
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an act or omission prohibited and punished by law
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unlawful acts in general
a wave of crime
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( as modifier )
crime wave
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an evil act
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informal something to be regretted
it is a crime that he died young
Usage
What is a crime? A crime is an act or instance that is considered to be against the morals or laws of society, as in Burglary and grand theft auto are crimes.A person could also be said to have committed a crime against nature or a crime against humanity if they performed especially offensive or taboo acts.A crime can also mean illegal activity in general or a frequent committing of such activity, as in The superhero was dedicated to fighting crime.Crime can also mean a repeated or frequent performing of illegal acts, as in The mobsters lived a life of crime. And crime can be used more generally to refer to any offense or sin, as in The man swore his neighbor would pay for his crime of letting his dogs waltz through his yard. Informally, crime can be used to mean a regrettable thing, as in It is a crime that the musician died so young. The word criminal can be used to mean both a person who commits crime as well as an adjective for things related to crime.Example: Publishing someone’s words as your own is a crime.
Related Words
Crime, offense, sin agree in meaning a breaking of law. Crime usually means any serious violation of human laws: the crime of treason or robbery. Offense is used of an infraction of either human or divine law, and does not necessarily mean a serious one: an offense leading to a jail sentence; an offense against morals. Sin means a breaking of moral or divine law: the sins of greed and lust.
Other Word Forms
- anticrime adjective
- crimeless adjective
- crimelessness noun
- supercrime noun
Etymology
Origin of crime
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin crīmin-, stem of crīmen “accusation, blame, charge,” akin to cernere “to decide, distinguish, separate,” literally, “to sift” ( discern ( def. ) )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Supporters say the devices allow law enforcement to quickly identify and locate people they suspect of serious crimes.
From Los Angeles Times
"We are very clear around the support that we offer to hate crimes or to hate crime victims and that it is an absolute priority for policing, to protect the victims in society."
From BBC
The defence ministry warned that the banknotes had no purchasing power and that collecting or using them would constitute a crime.
From BBC
His testimony came one day after his wife, ex-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, told the committee she also "had no idea" of Epstein's crimes.
From BBC
Prosecutors said Serafini’s crimes were driven by anger and financial distress.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
