crime
gb/kɹˈaɪm/ us/kɹˈaɪm/
A2
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
An act against the law
An action that is not allowed by law and can be punished.
Usage pattern:
[someone] commits [a crime]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'crime' with 'sin'; 'sin' is used in a religious context, while 'crime' refers to breaking the law.
Synonyms
offense (More formal legal term for a violation of the law.)
|
felony (Specifically refers to a serious crime, especially in U.S. law.)
Antonyms
lawfulness (The quality of following the law; opposite of committing a crime.)
|
innocence (State of not being guilty of a crime.)
Collocations
commit a crime
|serious crime
|violent crime
|organized crime
|solve a crime
Themes
law
|justice
|society
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police are investigating a serious crime in the area.
- Stealing from a store is a crime.
- He was arrested for committing a violent crime.
- Organized crime has been growing in the city.
- The detective worked hard to solve the crime.
Learner examples
- Stealing is a crime.
- He went to jail for his crime.
- The police want to stop crime.
- She is not guilty of any crime.
Noun
B1
entity
2
A morally bad action
Something very bad or unfair, even if it is not illegal.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense in legal contexts; remember that in this meaning it can be figurative and not about actual law-breaking.
Synonyms
wrongdoing (General term for morally or ethically bad actions.)
|
injustice (Focuses on unfairness or violation of rights rather than legal status.)
Antonyms
virtue (High moral standard; opposite of moral wrongdoing.)
Collocations
a crime against humanity
|a crime against nature
|it's a crime to [verb]
Themes
ethics
|society
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Destroying the rainforest is a crime against nature.
- It's a crime to waste so much food when people are hungry.
- Many believe that denying education to children is a crime against humanity.
Learner examples
- It is a crime to hurt animals.
- Some think it is a crime to waste water.
- Hurting people for fun is a crime.
Grammar
Dictionary form
crime
IPA
GB/kɹˈaɪm/
US/kɹˈaɪm/
Syllables & stress
crime (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (crime)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: crime
- Plural: crime, crimes
Word family
Forms
crimes
noun
Core family
criminal
adjective A2
Related words
criminally
adverb
criminalize
verb
Negative and opposite forms
decriminalize
verb
Advanced or less common
criminality
noun
criminalization
noun
criminology
noun
criminologist
noun
Expressions
commit a crime
1/kəmˈɪt ə kɹˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
Do something illegal
To do something that is against the law.
Examples
- He committed a crime by stealing the car.
- Anyone who commits a crime must face justice.
crime rate
1/kɹˈaɪm ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
Number of crimes in an area
The number of crimes that happen in a place during a certain time.
Examples
- The city's crime rate has dropped this year.
- High unemployment often leads to a higher crime rate.
organized crime
1/ˈɔɹɡənˌaɪzd kɹˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
Criminal activity by groups
Illegal activities done by powerful and planned groups.
Examples
- The police are cracking down on organized crime.
- He was linked to an organized crime network.
crime of passion
1/kɹˈaɪm əv pˈæʃən/
fixed phrase
Crime caused by strong emotion
A violent act done suddenly because of strong feelings like anger or jealousy.
Examples
- The murder was ruled a crime of passion.
- The murder was ruled a crime of passion after evidence showed it happened in a jealous rage.
- Crimes of passion often happen without planning.
- He was acquitted because the killing was considered a crime of passion.
white-collar crime
1/wˈaɪt kˈɑlɚ kɹˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
non-violent business or financial crime
Crime like fraud or stealing money that is done in business or professional work, usually without violence.
Examples
- He was arrested for white-collar crime involving fraud.
- The documentary explores major cases of white-collar crime.
- White-collar crimes can cause huge financial losses.
- He was jailed for white-collar crimes including fraud and embezzlement.
- White-collar crime can cost companies millions of dollars.