INDEX:
1. a crime
2. crimes in general
3. someone who is guilty of a crime
4. a group of criminals
5. to do something that is a crime
RELATED WORDS
against the law : ↑ ILLEGAL
see also
↑ KILL
↑ STEAL
↑ ATTACK
↑ THREATEN
↑ VIOLENT
↑ COURT/TRIAL
↑ PUNISH
↑ SUSPECT
↑ ACCUSE
↑ GUILTY
↑ INNOCENT
↑ PROVE
↑ LAW
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1. a crime
▷ crime /kraɪm/ [countable noun]
an action that is against the law, for example stealing something, taking drugs, or deliberately hurting someone :
▪ The number of crimes reported in the New York City area has decreased dramatically over the last ten years.
commit a crime
do something that is a crime
▪ Investigators believe that the crime was committed at around 7.30 p.m.
crime against
▪ He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape and other sexual crimes against women.
serious crime
▪ Not surprisingly, the police say that 50% of serious crimes are drug-related.
solve a crime
find out who did it
▪ The demonstrators called on the governor to make solving the crime a priority.
▷ offence British /offense American /əˈfens/ [countable noun]
an action that can be punished by law :
▪ Tarrant is now in jail for various offenses, including rape.
commit an offence
do something that is an offence
▪ Bates is being tried for offences committed in the early 1990s.
criminal offence
▪ Driving under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offense.
▪ The bill seeks to make it a criminal offence to inflict cruelty on any animal.
serious offence
▪ Possession of an unregistered firearm is a serious offense.
minor offence
not very serious
▪ Hewson was arrested for a number of minor offences.
speeding/parking etc offence
▪ Speeding offences are usually punishable by a fine.
▷ felony /ˈfeləni/ [countable noun]
a serious crime such as murder or a violent attack - used especially in the legal system in the US :
▪ Leach was charged with sexual assault, which is a felony in Connecticut.
▪ Johnson was preparing his defense against felony charges of armed robbery and assault.
commit a felony
▪ She denied that she had committed any kind of felony.
▷ misdemeanor /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnəʳ, ˌmɪsdəˈmiːnəʳ/ [countable noun]
a crime that is not very serious - used especially in the legal system in the US :
▪ By the time he was 14, Horowitz already had several misdemeanors on his file.
▪ McFarlane pleaded guilty to four federal misdemeanor charges that he had lied to Congress.
commit a misdemeanor
▪ The court also processes cases of children and youth who have committed misdemeanors or felonies.
2. crimes in general
▷ crime /kraɪm/ [uncountable noun]
crimes in general - use this to talk generally about the reasons for crime, the problems it causes, and the number of crimes :
▪ Crime is a complex social problem with no single cause or solution.
▪ the growing problem of crime in the inner cities
violent crime
▪ Violent crime increased by 11% last year.
serious crime
▪ Increasing the number of patrol cars on the street has not had any effect on the level of serious crime.
petty crime
crime that is not serious
▪ Reynolds became involved in petty crime at a very young age.
▷ delinquency /dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/ [uncountable noun] formal
criminal behaviour that seems to have no reason, such as fighting or destroying things, especially when this is done by young people :
▪ Delinquency and drug addiction are more common in areas of high unemployment.
juvenile delinquency
among young people
▪ The study clearly demonstrates the link between juvenile delinquency and child abuse.
▷ criminal /ˈkrɪmɪn ə l, ˈkrɪmən ə l/ [adjective only before noun]
connected with crimes :
▪ He denies that he was ever involved in any criminal activities.
▪ an expert on criminal law
criminal charges
▪ The former president could face criminal charges.
criminal investigation
▪ Scottish police are carrying out a criminal investigation into the affair.
3. someone who is guilty of a crime
▷ criminal /ˈkrɪmɪn ə l, ˈkrɪmən ə l/ [countable noun]
someone who is guilty of a serious crime or of several crimes :
▪ Grimes is considered to be one of the most dangerous criminals in the US.
▪ Sending children to adult prisons just means they learn to be ‘better’ criminals from the adult inmates.
common criminal
not someone who commits crimes for political reasons or because of their principles
▪ The British government maintains that Donavan is a common criminal who should be brought to justice.
▷ offender /əˈfendəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who has broken the law and is punished for doing this :
▪ The courts should impose tougher punishments on offenders.
young offender British /juvenile offender American
under 18 years old
▪ The committee will investigate more effective ways of dealing with young offenders.
▷ delinquent /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ [countable noun]
someone, especially a young person, who is guilty of criminal behaviour such as fighting or destroying things :
▪ He blames most of the town’s problems on local delinquents.
juvenile delinquent
one who is still a child
▪ More than half of all juvenile delinquents currently in state institutions have disturbed family backgrounds.
delinquent [adjective only before noun]
▪ delinquent children
▷ lawbreaker /ˈlɔːbreɪkəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who does something illegal - used especially in newspapers or on television :
▪ The penalties must be severe enough to deter lawbreakers.
▪ Police say lawbreakers are encouraged by the slowness of the judicial system.
▷ felon /ˈfelən/ [countable noun]
someone who is guilty of a serious crime - used especially in the legal system in the US :
▪ Oakdale Prison holds over 600 dangerous felons.
▪ Stevens said his plan would keep guns out of felons’ hands.
▷ wanted /ˈwɒntɪd, ˈwɒntədǁˈwɑːn-/ [adjective]
someone who is wanted is being looked for by the police because they are thought to be guilty of a crime :
wanted for
▪ Richards is wanted for the murder of a security guard at the City Bank in December of last year.
most wanted man/criminal/fugitive etc
▪ The mass murderer known as the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ was for a long time the most wanted man in Britain.
4. a group of criminals
▷ gang /gæŋ/ [countable noun]
a group of criminals who work together :
▪ Warning: gangs of pickpockets operate in this area.
▪ Police say an armed gang stole nearly $1.9 million in a bank robbery over the weekend.
▷ ring /rɪŋ/ [countable noun]
a group of people who work together and organize an illegal trade, especially in something such as drugs or weapons :
▪ Drug rings operate in most large cities of the world.
▪ Corvino was the sixth member of the spy ring to be arrested for stealing high-tech secrets from several Silicon Valley firms.
▷ syndicate /ˈsɪndɪkət, ˈsɪndəkət/ [countable noun]
a large and powerful organization that controls illegal businesses and criminal activities :
▪ The syndicates see these women as easy candidates to force into the sex trade.
▷ organized crime /ˌɔːʳgənaɪzd ˈkraɪm/ [uncountable noun]
large criminal organizations that plan and control serious crime such as robbing banks or selling drugs :
▪ The police need more resources to combat organized crime.
▷ underworld /ˈʌndəʳwɜːʳld/ [singular noun]
the group of secret organizations that plan and organize crime in a particular city :
▪ Owen has been active in the Las Vegas underworld for years.
▪ He’s accused of having connections with Japan’s criminal underworld.
5. to do something that is a crime
▷ commit /kəˈmɪt/ [transitive verb]
commit a crime/offence/murder etc
do something that is a crime, especially a serious or violent crime :
▪ Brady committed a series of brutal murders.
▪ Women commit far fewer crimes than men.
▪ It now seems likely that Mason was sent to prison for an offence he never committed.
▷ break the law /ˌbreɪk ðə ˈlɔː/ [verb phrase]
to do something that is illegal :
▪ I didn’t realize that I was breaking the law.
▪ Hamer acknowledges that what he did was wrong, but denies breaking the law.
▪ Should journalists ever break the law in order to get a story?
▷ get into trouble /ˌget ɪntə ˈtrʌb ə l/ [verb phrase]
to get into a situation in which you are blamed or punished for doing something illegal :
▪ Logue got into trouble for drug violations.
get into trouble with
▪ When he was a teenager, Wayne got into a lot of trouble with the police.
▷ turn to crime /ˌtɜːʳn tə ˈkraɪm/ [verb phrase]
to begin a way of life that involves crime :
▪ He claims that when he could not find work, he was forced to turn to crime.
▪ Kramer said that he turned to crime in a bid to pay off his debts.
▷ have a criminal record /hæv ə ˌkrɪmə̇n ə l ˈrekɔːdǁ-ərd/ [verb phrase]
if someone has a criminal record, they have been found guilty of a crime in the past, and this information is officially recorded by the police or the courts :
▪ A background check confirmed that he had a criminal record.
▪ Loman has a lengthy criminal record.