crime

noun

ˈkrīm 

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

ˈkrīm-ləs 

adjective

Synonyms

• criminality
• lawbreaking
• lawlessness

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

Timely tax tips and the latest news delivered to your inbox weekly Kelly Phillips Erb is a Philadelphia-area Forbes senior writer who covers tax, law, and financial crimes. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025

The report does claim that Rozier has not been accused of a crime or wrongdoing. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025

There were positive elements of the plan, such as managing addiction as a disease in need of treatment instead of a crime deserving punishment. —Melody Glenn, TIME, 30 Jan. 2025

Collateral arrests can be for past crimes or for civil matters, like not being in the United States legally, said Kalman Resnick, an immigration attorney with Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym. —Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing crime

• anti-crime
• bias crime
• commit a crime
• crime against humanity
• crime against nature
• crime doesn't pay
• crime scene
• crime wave
• get tough on crime
• hate crime
• life of crime
• organized crime
• perfect crime
• true crime
• war crime
• white-collar crime

Kids Definition

crime

noun

ˈkrīm 

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

ˈkrīm 

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