crime

crime

noun \ˈkrīm\

Definition of CRIME

1

: an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law; 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>

— crime·less \-ləs\ adjective

Examples of CRIME

1. She paid dearly for her crimes.
2. evidence that helped them solve the crime
3. He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit.
4. the recent increase in violent crime
5. Being single is not a crime.
6. There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.

Origin of CRIME

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin crimen accusation, reproach, crime; probably akin to Latin cernere to sift, determine

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CRIME

Synonyms: criminality, lawbreaking, lawlessness

Antonyms: noncrime

Related Words: outlawry; gangsterism, hooliganism, racketeering; malfeasance, misconduct; wrongdoing; evil, immorality, sin, wickedness; corruption, depravity; malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense (or offence), transgression, trespass

Near Antonyms: blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability; goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness

see all synonyms and antonyms

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See Synonym Discussion at offense

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Rhymes with CRIME

chime, climb, clime, cyme, dime, disme, grime, lime, mime, prime, rhyme, rime, slime, stime, thyme, time