[ krahym ]
/ kraɪm /


criminal activity and those engaged in it: to fight crime.
any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin.

Origin of crime

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin crīmin- (stem of crīmen) charge, crime

Related forms

crime·less, adjectivecrime·less·ness, nounan·ti·crime, adjectivesu·per·crime, noun

Synonym study

1, 4. Crime, offense, sin agree in meaning a breaking of law. Crime usually means any serious violation of human laws: the crime of treason or robbery. Offense is used of an infraction of either human or divine law, and does not necessarily mean a serious one: an offense leading to a jail sentence; an offense against morals. Sin means a breaking of moral or divine law: the sins of greed and lust. Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crime

British Dictionary definitions for crime


/ (kraɪm) /


an act or omission prohibited and punished by law
  1. unlawful acts in generala wave of crime
  2. (as modifier)crime wave
an evil act
informal something to be regrettedit is a crime that he died young

Word Origin for crime

C14: from Old French, from Latin crīmen verdict, accusation, crime