crime
HighFormal to informal; widely used across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
An illegal act punishable by law; an action or omission that constitutes an offense.
Used figuratively to describe any serious wrongdoing, shameful act, or grave mistake, especially one perceived as foolish or wasteful.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
In its core sense, implies violation of the criminal law of a state. The figurative use ('a crime against fashion') is common in hyperbolic or evaluative speech. The countable noun is more common than the mass noun ('fighting crime').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or core usage. Both share legal definitions and figurative extensions. Some jurisdiction-specific terms may differ (e.g., specific crime classifications).
Connotations
Similarly strong connotations of illegality, immorality, and societal harm in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
commit + crimecrime + against + (society/humanity)crime + of + (murder/theft)fight/tackle + crimea rise/fall in + crimeVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a crime against humanity”
- “partners in crime”
- “the crime of the century”
- “it's a crime (to waste...)”
- “crime doesn't pay”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to corporate crime, fraud, money laundering, cybercrime affecting operations.
Academic
Used in criminology, law, sociology, and psychology to discuss theories, statistics, causes, and prevention.
Everyday
Common in news, conversation about local safety, or figuratively ('Leaving that cake uneaten is a crime!').
Technical
In law, a precisely defined category of actus reus and mens rea violating statutory or common law.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Crime isn't commonly used as a verb. Use 'commit a crime'. The archaic verb 'to crime' is obsolete.
American English
- Same as British. The verb form is not standard in modern use.
adverb
British English
- No direct adverb form. Use phrases like 'in a criminal manner'. 'Criminally' exists but from 'criminal'.
American English
- Same as British.
adjective
British English
- The crime statistics were alarming.
- He works for a crime prevention charity.
American English
- The crime rate has fallen.
- She is a crime reporter for the local paper.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Stealing is a crime.
- The police work to stop crime.
- There has been a rise in violent crime in the city centre.
- He was arrested for committing a serious crime.
- The government introduced new measures to tackle organised crime and cybercrime.
- Wasting such a beautiful opportunity would be an absolute crime.
- The documentary examined the socio-economic factors that are correlated with juvenile crime.
- The prosecutor argued that the defendant's actions constituted a crime against humanity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'CRIM' in 'criminal' – both share the core idea of law-breaking.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A DISEASE / PLAGUE ('fighting the cancer of organised crime'), CRIME IS A BUSINESS ('crime syndicate'), A FOOLISH ACT IS A CRIME ('it's a crime to waste talent').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating Russian 'преступление' as 'crime' in overly broad philosophical contexts (e.g., 'Crime and Punishment' title is correct). The Russian word can be more abstract. The English 'crime' is more tightly linked to codified law.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'crime' as a verb incorrectly ('He crimed the robbery' is wrong; use 'committed'). Confusing 'crime' (breaking law) with 'sin' (breaking moral/religious code).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST accurate synonym for 'crime' in a legal context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be both. As a countable noun: 'He committed several crimes.' As an uncountable noun (the concept): 'The level of crime has increased.'
'Crime' is an act punishable by the state. 'Sin' is a violation of religious/moral law. 'Tort' is a civil wrong (not necessarily criminal) for which someone can be sued.
Almost never in its core legal sense. However, in figurative, informal use it can be playful or hyperbolic ('This chocolate cake is criminally good').
'Commit' is the strongest collocation ('commit a crime'). Others include 'prevent', 'fight', 'report', and 'investigate'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.