Crime
/kraɪm/
Definitions
2 meaningsAn act that breaks the law and is punishable by law.
/kraɪm/
An illegal action or act
The theft of the painting was a serious crime.
💡 Simply: Imagine you took a cookie from the cookie jar when your parents said no. That's a little bit like a crime – doing something you're not supposed to do, and that has consequences! Like, no dessert.
👶 For kids: Doing something wrong that breaks a rule made by the government.
More Examples
The police are working to solve the crime.
He was accused of committing a white-collar crime.
How It's Used
"The police are investigating a serious crime."
"Local news reported a spike in violent crime."
A specific instance of illegal activity.
/kraɪm/
The police are investigating the crime that took place last night.
💡 Simply: Think of each time someone breaks the rules as one little crime. Like, if someone steals a car, that's one crime. If someone robs a bank, that's a different, bigger crime.
👶 For kids: One bad thing someone does that breaks the rules.
More Examples
The report detailed the types of crime in the area.
The crime was a result of poor security.
How It's Used
"He was convicted of multiple crimes."
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
commit a crime
To do something illegal.
"He was arrested for committing a crime."
crime against humanity
A particularly heinous offense, such as genocide, or a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.
"The acts were deemed a crime against humanity by the international court."
From Middle English *crimin*, from Old French *crimin* and Latin *crimen* 'accusation, crime'.
The word crime has been used since the 13th century to denote an act against the law.
Memory tip
Think of 'time' - breaking the rules wastes time, making it a crime!