crime

crime — noun

1. behaviour that breaks the law, considered as a general type of activity rather t

1.nounA2
Definition

behaviour that breaks the law, considered as a general type of activity rather than specific individual acts

Example

Adaeze grew up where crime was common and people feared walking alone at night.

crime + be + adjective (crime was common)

The government plans to spend more money on fighting crime by hiring more police officers.

collocation: fight crime

Common collocations
  • fight crime
  • combat crime
  • reduce crime
  • prevent crime
  • tackle crime
  • crime rate
  • crime wave
  • organised crime
  • petty crime
  • violent crime
Synonyms
  • criminality

    more formal; often used in academic or legal writing about patterns of crime

  • lawbreaking

    emphasises the aspect of breaking established rules; less common in everyday speech

  • delinquency

    mainly used for young people's minor illegal behaviour; narrower in scope

Antonyms
  • lawfulness

    formal; describes behaviour that follows the law

  • legality

    focuses on whether something is permitted by law, not on absence of crime

Grammar Patterns

crime (as a general concept)

Usage Note

This is an uncountable use of crime that refers to illegal activity in general. Do not use 'a' or 'an' before it. For a specific illegal act, see sense 2 (countable).

Common Mistakes

He committed crime in his youth.
He turned to crime in his youth.
when talking about illegal behaviour in general, use 'turn to crime' or 'involved in crime', not 'commit'. Use 'commit a crime' for a specific act (sense 2).

2. a specific act that breaks a law and for which a court may order a fine or priso

2.nounA2
Definition

a specific act that breaks a law and for which a court may order a fine or prison time as punishment

Example

Mauricio was arrested for a crime he did not commit, but the evidence proved him innocent.

collocation: commit a crime

Shoplifting is a minor crime that can still result in a criminal record and a fine.

[specific type] + is + a crime

Common collocations
  • commit a crime
  • solve a crime
  • report a crime
  • witness a crime
  • a serious crime
  • a violent crime
  • a minor crime
  • crime scene
  • crime victim
Synonyms
  • offence

    the most common synonym; used in legal contexts and everyday speech

  • felony

    a serious crime such as murder or robbery; mainly US legal term

  • misdemeanour

    a less serious crime; mainly US legal term; spelled 'misdemeanor' in American English

Grammar Patterns

commit + a crime

a crime of + noun

[type] + crime

Common Mistakes

The crime has been rising in this city.' (ambiguous — general or specific?).
Crime has been rising in this city.' for general trend; 'Violent crimes have been rising.' for specific types.

3. an action that you consider shocking or deeply unfair, even though no actual law

3.nounB2
Definition

an action that you consider shocking or deeply unfair, even though no actual law is broken — for example, closing a hospital that people depend on, or paying workers unfairly while the company makes large profits

Example

Mia claimed it was a crime that the old library had been knocked down for a shopping mall car park.

pattern: it is a crime that + clause

Shirin considers it a crime to pay experienced nurses such low wages while the hospital executives earn millions.

pattern: it is a crime to + infinitive

Common collocations
  • a crime against humanity
  • a crime against nature
  • it's a crime
  • a crying shame (informal)
Synonyms
  • outrage

    stronger emotional tone; focuses on the feeling of anger something causes

  • disgrace

    emphasises shame and public disapproval

  • sin

    informal or religious; suggests moral failure rather than legal wrong

Grammar Patterns

it is a crime that + clause

it is a crime to + infinitive

it would be a crime to + infinitive

Usage Note

This is a non-legal, figurative use. It expresses strong disapproval but does not refer to an actual law. The patterns 'it is a crime that...' and 'it is a crime to...' are the most common structures.

Common Mistakes

Not recycling is a crime.' (sounds literal and odd).
It is a crime that our city does not have a proper recycling programme.
the figurative sense works best with the 'it is a crime that...' pattern.

4. a type of book, film, or television show that tells a story about a crime and th

4.nounB1
Definition

a type of book, film, or television show that tells a story about a crime and the process of finding out who committed it

Example

Ignacio loves crime novels, especially ones with clever detectives and surprising endings.

crime + noun (modifier: crime novel)

The new crime drama on Saturday nights has become the most watched show on television this year.

crime drama

Common collocations
  • crime fiction
  • crime novel
  • crime drama
  • crime thriller
  • crime writer
  • crime story
  • true crime
Synonyms
  • detective fiction

    a sub-genre focused on the detective figure; more specific than 'crime fiction'

  • mysteries

    used in the plural to refer to books or films in this genre; broader and may include non-crime puzzles

  • noir

    a darker, more stylistic sub-genre of crime fiction, often set in urban environments

Grammar Patterns

crime + noun (modifier)

crime as a genre

Usage Note

When referring to the genre, 'crime' is an uncountable noun. It is very often used as a modifier before another noun: crime novel, crime film, crime drama, crime fiction. The noun 'crime' alone cannot mean a book or film.

Common Mistakes

I read a crime last night.
I read a crime novel last night.
the word 'crime' on its own does not mean a book; it must be followed by a genre word like 'novel', 'fiction', or 'story'.
Idioms

crime doesn't pay

idiom

used to say that committing crimes is not worth doing because you will eventually be caught and punished

After spending ten years in prison, Luis finally understood that crime really does not pay.

The film's message is simple: crime does not pay, no matter how clever the criminals think they are.

partner in crime

idiom

a friend who you regularly do things with, especially things that are slightly bad or mischievous

Maya and her brother have been partners in crime since they were toddlers, always getting into trouble together.

The two old friends were partners in crime during their college years, sneaking out of the dormitory every weekend.

crime of passion

idiom

a crime, usually violent, that is committed because of strong emotions such as jealousy or anger, especially in a romantic relationship

The lawyer argued that her client had acted in the heat of the moment and that this was a crime of passion, not planned murder.

In many legal systems, a crime of passion is treated differently from premeditated murder.

crime against humanity

idiom

a very serious offence against large numbers of people, especially during war or under an oppressive government, such as killing civilians or forcing them to leave their homes

The former dictator was put on trial for crimes against humanity committed during the civil war.

The International Criminal Court investigates and prosecutes crimes against humanity around the world.

Word family

  • criminal
    adjectiveB1
  • criminal
    nounA2
  • criminality
    nounC1
  • criminalize
    verbC1
  • criminally
    adverbC1
  • criminology
    nounC2
  • criminologist
    nounC2
  • incriminate
    verbC2
  • decriminalize
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These words all describe actions that break rules or laws, but they differ in seriousness and context. 'Offence' is the most general synonym and works in both legal and everyday British English — a parking offence is minor while a drug offence can be serious. 'Felony' and 'misdemeanour' are legal categories used mainly in the US legal system: a felony is a serious crime like murder or robbery (often carrying a prison sentence of more than one year), while a misdemeanour is less serious (such as petty theft). 'Violation' is the least severe, often referring to breaking a rule or regulation rather than a criminal law — for example, a traffic violation usually results in a fine rather than a criminal record. In everyday conversation, most English speakers use 'crime' for serious acts and 'offence' for less serious ones. For example: 'Running a red light is a traffic offence, but stealing a car is a crime.'

offence ↗felonymisdemeanourviolation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • crime rate
  • crime scene
  • crime wave
  • crime spree
  • crime prevention
  • crime reporting

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fight against crime
  • war on crime
  • hotbed of crime
  • crime does not pay

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'crime' entered English in the 13th century from Old French 'crimne', which came from Latin 'crimen' meaning 'charge, accusation, or offence'. The Latin root 'cernere' (to decide, to sift) is also the source of words like 'discriminate', 'discern', and 'secret'. Originally, the word was closer to the idea of an accusation or a judgment, but over time it shifted to mean the wrongful act itself.