A crime is an illegal action or activity for which a person can be punished by law.
He and Lieutenant Cassidy were checking the scene of the crime.
Mr Steele has committed no crime and poses no danger to the public.
Endangering their lives will be regarded as a crime against humanity.
...the growing problem of organised crime.
We need a positive programme of crime prevention.
Synonyms: offence, job [informal], wrong, fault More Synonyms of crime
2. countable noun [usually singular]
If you say that doing something is a crime, you think it is very wrong or a serious mistake.
[disapproval]
A language is a finely tuned instrument which it is a crime to damage.
It would be a crime to travel all the way to Australia and not stop in Sydney.
More Synonyms of crime
crime in British English
(kraɪm)
noun
1.
an act or omission prohibited and punished by law
2.
a.
unlawful acts in general
a wave of crime
b.
(as modifier)
crime wave
3.
an evil act
4. informal
something to be regretted
it is a crime that he died young
Word origin
C14: from Old French, from Latin crīmen verdict, accusation, crime
crime in American English
(kraɪm)
noun
1.
an act committed in violation of a law prohibiting it, or omitted in violation of a law ordering it; often, specif., such an act of a serious nature, as a felony: crimes are variously punishable by death, imprisonment, or the imposition of certain fines or restrictions: the range of crime includes felonies and misdemeanors, but not petty violations of local ordinances
2.
an offense against morality; sin
3.
criminal acts, collectively
4. Informal
something regrettable or deplorable; shame
it's a crime you didn't finish school
Word origin
OFr < L crimen, verdict, object of reproach, offense, prob. < IE *(s)krei- (> scream), extension of base *ker-: see raven1
COBUILD Collocations
crime
alleged crimes
commit a crime
crime is rife
heinous crime
Examples of 'crime' in a sentence
crime
If technology laws infringe liberties but do not stop crime then they will not command public respect.
Computing (2010)
Yet there were details at the crime scene that raised questions.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
This can lead to more serious crimes.
Computing (2010)
It used to be that detectives would pick up valuable clues from the scene of the crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The age issue seems to be getting in the way but a crime is a crime no matter what age you are.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Who doesn't love a period crime drama?
The Sun (2016)
The intensity and suspense that has been missing from the 1950s crime drama arrives at last in its final part.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You are familiar with the language of crime and storytelling.
The Sun (2011)
The crime wave follows the rocketing price of the precious metals in exhaust pipes.
The Sun (2008)
We all jumped back into the car and raced away from the scene of the crime.
Frankie Dettori with Jonathan Powell FRANKIE: The Autobiography of Frankie Dettori (2004)
The police need to get involved more and do talks in schools about crime in general.
The Sun (2014)
Vera the crime drama certainly has its faults.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What awful crime must a person commit to warrant going to hell?
Christianity Today (2000)
Was this a crime or something else?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
They see it as a way of reducing crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Since then thousands of criminals have sneaked in and committed crimes.
The Sun (2015)
On the other there is an understandable feeling that youths who commit serious crimes should be punished.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There are already laws against the crimes that were committed by the press.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Some of the outrage made them sound like crimes against humanity.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It is not so much a crime wave as a ripple.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We want a government that pulls out all the stops to cut crime.
The Sun (2012)
Last week he revisited the scene of the crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The move is being made because fewer people are reporting crime in person.
The Sun (2013)
They would do something similar on crime policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
There are better ways to tackle crime.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
We see people that have committed these dreadful crimes are coming out and continuing along a similar pattern.
The Sun (2015)
We should leave the general crime in place, but reinforce the defences to a charge under it.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
So forgive me if I coin a new crime against language.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
crime
British English: crime /kraɪm/ NOUN
A crime is an illegal action or activity for which a person can be punished by law.
...the scene of the crime.
American English: crime
Arabic: جَرِيـمَة
Brazilian Portuguese: crime
Chinese: 犯罪
Croatian: zločin
Czech: zločin
Danish: forbrydelse
Dutch: misdaad
European Spanish: delito
Finnish: rikos
French: crime
German: Verbrechen
Greek: έγκλημα
Italian: reato
Japanese: 犯罪
Korean: 범죄
Norwegian: forbrytelse
Polish: przestępstwo
European Portuguese: crime
Romanian: infracțiune
Russian: преступление
Latin American Spanish: delito
Swedish: brott
Thai: อาชญากรรม
Turkish: suç
Ukrainian: злочин
Vietnamese: tội phạm
All related terms of 'crime'
e-crime
criminal activity that involves the use of computers or networks such as the internet
car crime
crime in which cars are stolen or in which things are stolen from cars
gun crime
crime involving the use of a gun
war crime
a crime committed in wartime in violation of the accepted rules and customs of war, such as genocide , ill-treatment of prisoners of war, etc
crime scene
A crime scene is a place that is being investigated by the police because a crime has taken place there.
crime sheet
a record of an individual's offences against regulations
crime spree
a series of crimes committed in quick succession
Crime Squad
(in Britain) a division of the police which identifies and prevents major crimes , esp those crossing regional or national boundaries
crime wave
When more crimes than usual are committed in a particular place, you can refer to this as a crime wave .
hate crime
A hate crime is a crime, especially against gay people or people from ethnic minorities , that is motivated by feelings of hatred .
petty crime
minor crimes such as theft , trespassing etc
youth crime
crime committed by juvenile offenders
crime-buster
a law officer who specializes in fighting large-scale organized crime
crime survey
If you carry out a survey , you try to find out detailed information about a lot of different people or things, usually by asking people a series of questions .
crime writer
a writer who writes detective fiction
heinous crime
A crime is an illegal action or activity for which a person can be punished by law.
street crime
Street crime refers to crime such as vandalism , car theft and mugging that are usually committed outdoors .
computer crime
crime perpetrated on or requiring the use of computers
crime fighting
the series of measures and actions taken by the forces of the law to combat crime
organized crime
Organized crime refers to criminal activities which involve large numbers of people and are organized and controlled by a small group.
commit a crime
A crime is an illegal action or activity for which a person can be punished by law.
crime is rife
A crime is an illegal action or activity for which a person can be punished by law.
crime passionnel
a crime committed from passion , esp sexual passion
crime prevention
official and police policies to prevent crime
electronic crime
any criminal activity involving the use of computers, as the illegal transfer of funds from one account to another or the stealing , changing, or erasing of data in an electronic database
victimless crime
a type of crime , such as insurance fraud , regarded by some people as being excusable because the victim is the state or an organization, rather than an individual
crime of passion
a crime , often a murder , committed from passion , esp sexual passion
white-collar crime
an illegal act carried out in connection with their work by someone in a professional or clerical occupation , such as fraud
crime against nature
sodomy
crime against humanity
repeated actions undertaken by, or condoned by, a government, deemed to infringe human dignity and safety , such as rape , torture , murder, etc
crime prevention officer
a member of the police who advises the public on how best to avoid crimes, esp being burgled
compound a felony (or crime)
to agree, for a bribe or repayment, not to inform about or prosecute for a felony (or crime): it is an illegal act
crimes passionnels
a crime committed from passion , esp sexual passion