crime
noun
Synonyms
- criminality
- lawbreaking
- lawlessness
Example Sentences
Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 The station also reported that animal control had brought out a dog from the crime scene. CBS News, 9 Sep. 2022 Telles had publicly expressed his anger at German and his reporting, and authorities said the politician's DNA was found at the crime scene. Melissa Chan, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 Police were already investigating an active crime scene there, according to a search-warrant affidavit obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive. oregonlive, 9 Sep. 2022 Koren also said that Telles' DNA was also discovered at the crime scene. Christine Pelisek, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2022 The two teens were later arrested and admitted to where the weapons used at the crime scene had been disposed. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2022 According to Thursday’s press conference, police recovered DNA from the crime scene that matched DNA taken from Telles. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 The contractor found the suspect casing the crime scene the day before the attack. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 7 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, "wrongdoing, sin," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin crīmin-, crīmen "accusation, charge, indictment, source of an accusation, misdeed, offense," probably from crī-, variant stem of cernere "to sift, discern, decide, determine" + -men, resultative noun suffix (probably originally "decision," then "judicial decision, indictment") — more at certain entry 1
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing crime
Kids Definition
crime
noun
Legal Definition
crime
noun
Note: Crimes in the common-law tradition were originally defined primarily by judicial decision. For the most part, common-law crimes are now codified. There is a general principle “nullum crimen sine lege,” that there can be no crime without a law. A crime generally consists of both conduct, known as the actus reus, and a concurrent state of mind, known as the mens rea.
crime
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- criminality
- corruption
- lawbreaking
- lawlessness
- gangsterism
- misconduct
- malfeasance
- racketeering
- hooliganism
- wrongdoing
- evil
- outlawry
- misdeed
- immorality
- sin
- wickedness
- offence
- transgression
- trespass
- depravity
- offense
- misdoing
- malefaction
Synonyms & Similar Words
- shame
- pity
- sin
- scandal
- disgrace
- outrage
Synonyms & Similar Words
- violation
- offence
- sin
- felony
- wrongdoing
- misdeed
- trespass
- offense
- debt
- transgression
- lawbreaking
- sinfulness
- misdoing
- error
- malefaction
- breach
- misconduct
- criminality
- misdemeanor
- corruption
- infringement
- bias crime
- hate crime
- abuse
- immorality
- misfeasance
- wickedness
- illegality
- lawlessness
- depravity
- peccadillo
- debauchery
- unlawfulness
- foible
- vice
- fault
- iniquity
- licentiousness
- break
- downfall
- iniquitousness
- fall
- descent
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- innocence
- morality
- noncrime
- blamelessness
- guiltlessness
- virtue
- righteousness
- irreproachability
- goodness
- impeccability
- faultlessness
- virtuousness
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of crime are offense, scandal, sin, and vice. While all these words mean "a transgression of law," crime implies a serious offense punishable by the law of the state.
The words offense and crime are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, offense applies to the infraction of any law, rule, or code.
The meanings of scandal and crime largely overlap; however, scandal applies to an offense that outrages the public conscience.
The synonyms sin and crime are sometimes interchangeable, but sin implies an offense against moral or religious law.
In some situations, the words vice and crime are roughly equivalent. However, vice applies to a habit or practice that degrades or corrupts.