crimewave: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, but common in journalism and public discourse.
Quick answer
What does “crimewave” mean?
A sudden, significant increase in criminal activity within a specific area over a short period.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A sudden, significant increase in criminal activity within a specific area over a short period.
A period marked by a surge in reported crimes, often of a similar nature, leading to public concern and media coverage; can be used metaphorically to describe a sharp rise in any undesirable activity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK sometimes uses hyphen (crime-wave) though solid form is standard. US almost exclusively uses 'crimewave'. Concept and usage are identical.
Connotations
Identical strong negative connotations of public danger and social breakdown.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK media, but common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “crimewave” in a Sentence
[Area/Police] + battle/tackle/face + a crimewaveA crimewave + hits/strikes/grips + [area]There is/has been a crimewave + in + [area]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crimewave” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The borough has been crimewaved by a series of break-ins. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- (Not used as a verb.)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
adjective
British English
- The city's crimewave summer left residents anxious.
- The police issued a crimewave alert.
American English
- The town faced a crimewave crisis.
- Politicians debated crimewave policies.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Discussed in contexts of insurance, risk assessment, and impact on retail (e.g., 'The crimewave has led to increased security costs.')
Academic
Used in sociology, criminology, and urban studies papers analyzing crime trends and societal factors.
Everyday
Used in conversation about local news and safety concerns (e.g., 'They say there's a crimewave in the north side.').
Technical
Not a precise statistical term; criminologists prefer terms like 'cluster' or 'spike'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “crimewave”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “crimewave”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crimewave”
- Using it for a single major crime (e.g., a bank heist).
- Spelling as two words ('crime wave' is acceptable but less common in edited text).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly written as one solid word ('crimewave'), though the hyphenated form ('crime-wave') is sometimes seen, especially in older UK texts. The two-word form 'crime wave' is also acceptable.
Yes, it often is. You can have a 'knife crimewave' or a 'cybercrime wave'. The term focuses on the surge in frequency, not necessarily the diversity of crimes.
A 'crime spree' often implies a single perpetrator or group committing many crimes in quick succession. A 'crimewave' is a broader societal phenomenon involving many unrelated criminals, affecting a community or region.
It is more journalistic and informal. In formal academic or police reports, terms like 'a significant spike in crime', 'a cluster of incidents', or 'a surge in criminal activity' are often preferred.
A sudden, significant increase in criminal activity within a specific area over a short period.
Crimewave: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkraɪmˌweɪv/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkraɪmˌweɪv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A wave of crime has swept the city.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a literal WAVE made of newspaper headlines about robberies and thefts crashing over a city.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A NATURAL FORCE / A DISEASE (a wave that hits; an epidemic that spreads).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following scenarios best describes a 'crimewave'?