DictionaryAI

crime

KRYM/kɹaɪm/

Pluralcrimes

6 meanings of crime

Practice

  1. 1
    one illegal actnouncountable
    An act that breaks the law, such as stealing or hurting someone.

    Like breaking an important rule, but the police get involved and you can be punished.

    Stealing a car is a serious crime.

    The police are still trying to solve the crime.

    UsageSay commit a crime. The police try to solve a crime.

    Similaroffense, violation

  2. 2
    noununcountable
    Things people do that are against the law, thought of all together, or a life of doing such things.

    Crime has gone down in our city this year.

    The mayor promised to fight crime in poorer areas.

    UsageSay crime is rising or fight crime, with no a. One act is a crime.

  3. 3
    moral wrongnouncountable
    A very bad or evil act, even when no law is broken.

    Letting a beautiful garden die like that is a crime.

    Lying to your own family is a terrible crime.

    UsagePeople often say it's a crime about something very bad or wasteful.

    Similarsin, outrage, atrocity, wrong, abomination

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    verbrareintransitive
    To do things that are against the law.
    If, during the 1920s, the master criminal was a gamester, criming for self expression, during the 1930s he performed in other ways for other purposes.
    1987, Robert Sampson, Yesterday's Faces: From the Dark SideHere, criming means committing crimes, taking part in criminal acts.
  2. 5
    nounobsoletecountable
    Something that leads people to do wrong or break the law.
    the tree of life, the crime of our first father's fall
    1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, crime means the cause of wrongdoing, what led to the fall.
    Note
  3. 6
    verbUK
    To officially accuse a soldier of breaking military rules, so that the case can be dealt with.

Practice

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Origin

This word came through Old French from the Latin word "crīmen".

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 1 fact