statutory offense: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2Formal, Legal
Quick answer
What does “statutory offense” mean?
An act that is made a crime by a law passed by a legislative body (such as Parliament or Congress).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An act that is made a crime by a law passed by a legislative body (such as Parliament or Congress).
A criminal violation explicitly defined and prohibited by written statute, as opposed to common law crimes. The offense exists because a specific law decrees it.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
UK spelling: 'offence'. US spelling: 'offense'. The term is equally central in both legal systems, though the UK retains some common law crimes, making the statutory distinction slightly more salient in the US context.
Connotations
Purely legal and administrative connotation in both regions. Implies a violation of codified law.
Frequency
High frequency in legal texts, moderate in news reports about law/crime, very low in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “statutory offense” in a Sentence
[person/entity] committed a statutory offense[statutory offense] is defined in [section/article][action] constitutes a statutory offenseVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “statutory offense” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The Act does not statutorily offence that conduct.
- [No direct verb form]
American English
- [No direct verb form for 'statutory offense']
adverb
British English
- [No direct adverb form]
- The act was statutorily defined as an offence.
American English
- [No direct adverb form]
- The conduct is statutorily prohibited as an offense.
adjective
British English
- The statutory offence provisions are under review.
- He faced statutory offence charges.
American English
- The statutory offense language in the code is clear.
- It was a statutory offense case.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in compliance contexts: 'Failure to file the report is a statutory offense.'
Academic
Used in law and criminology papers to discuss the nature and scope of criminal law.
Everyday
Rare. Might appear in news: 'The new bill makes cyber-bullying a statutory offense.'
Technical
Precise legal term used in statutes, indictments, and legal commentary to classify a crime.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “statutory offense”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “statutory offense”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “statutory offense”
- Incorrect spelling: 'statutary offense'.
- Using it for minor non-criminal violations (e.g., parking ticket).
- Confusing it with 'constitutional offense' or 'civil offense'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In modern legal systems like the US and UK, the vast majority of crimes are statutory. Some rare common law crimes may still exist, but the term 'statutory offense' highlights the origin in legislation.
A statutory offense is a crime punishable by the state (fines, imprisonment). A civil offense (or tort) is a wrong against an individual, resolved by damages, not punishment.
No, it is a formal legal term. In everyday conversation, people would say 'crime', 'illegal act', or 'against the law'.
No, the meaning is identical. 'Offense' is American English, 'Offence' is British English. The word 'statutory' is spelled the same in both variants.
An act that is made a crime by a law passed by a legislative body (such as Parliament or Congress).
Statutory offense: in British English it is pronounced /ˌstætʃət(ə)ri əˈfɛns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌstætʃəˌtɔri əˈfɛns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none directly associated]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A STATUE of a lawmaker (STATUTory) points at an act, OFFICIALLY declaring it an OFFENSE.
Conceptual Metaphor
LAW IS A FRAMEWORK / BUILDING (a 'statutory' offense is built into the framework of written law).
Practice
Quiz
What is the KEY defining feature of a 'statutory offense'?