white-collar crime

American

noun

any of various crimes, as embezzlement, fraud, or stealing office equipment, committed by business or professional people while working at their occupations.

Other Word Forms

white-collar criminal noun

Etymology

Origin of white-collar crime

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

Corinne Ramey is a reporter covering federal law enforcement and white-collar crime for The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal

He joined the Journal in mid-2023 from Reuters, where he worked as an investigative reporter focused on white-collar crime and as a correspondent in Venezuela and Spain.

From The Wall Street Journal

Dave focuses on the Justice Department, Securities and Exchange Commission and other law enforcement agencies that investigate white-collar crime and fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal

McIver’s prosecution marks a rare occasion where a lawmaker faces charges for something other than a white-collar crime like fraud or bribery.

From Salon

He grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, where his late father worked as an attorney who specialized in white-collar crime and once represented President Nixon.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023