crimenoun
uk/kraɪm/us/kraɪm/B1 [ U ] illegal activities:
a life of crime
rising crime
crime prevention
petty (= unimportant) crime/serious crime
B1 [ C ] an illegal act:
He has admitted committing several crimes, including fraud.
The defendant is accused of/charged with a range of crimes, from theft to murder.
A knife was found at the scene of the crime (= the place where the crime happened).
Bombing civilians is a crime against humanity (= a cruel crime against many people).
[ S ] an unacceptable or very silly act or situation:
To have hundreds of homeless people sleeping in the streets of a rich city like London is a crime .
It would be a crime (= a waste) to spend such a beautiful day indoors.
More examples
- Something must be done to reduce the level of crime in the area.
- Someone of your description was seen in the area on the night of the crime.
- The jury has to decide whether a person is guilty or innocent of a crime.
- In Britain, half of all violent crime is perpetrated by people who have been drinking alcohol.
- There are few crimes more truly shocking than the murder or abuse of children.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Crime - general words
- carrying-on
- complicit
- complicity
- copycat
- crime of passion
- drink-driving
- DWI
- foul play
- inside job
- juvenile delinquent
- loitering
- misdeed
- netherworld
- offense
- speeding
- trespass
- vagrant
- victimless
- war crime
- wrongdoing
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Difficult situations and unpleasant experiences
Idiom(s)
crime doesn't pay