# crime

Pronunciation: say "KRYM" /kɹaɪm/

## Noun

1. An act that breaks the law, especially one punishable under criminal law.
   - Simple: An act that breaks the law, such as stealing or hurting someone.
   - _Burglary is a crime that carries significant penalties._
   - _Investigators gathered evidence at the scene of the crime._
2. Illegal activity in general, including the practice of breaking the law as a way of life.
   - Simple: Things people do that are against the law, thought of all together, or a life of doing such things.
   - _Violent crime rose sharply during the economic downturn._
   - _Many of these policies aim to reduce crime through better education._
3. A great sin or act of wickedness, regardless of whether any law forbids it.
   - Simple: A very bad or evil act, even when no law is broken.
   - _Cruelty to the helpless was, in his eyes, the greatest crime of all._
   - _To betray a friend's trust is a crime against common decency._

## Verb

4. To commit crime or take part in criminal activity. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To do things that are against the law.

## Noun

5. Something that brings about or gives rise to wrongdoing. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Something that leads people to do wrong or break the law.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To charge a member of the armed forces with an offense against military discipline.

## Origin

Latin "crīmen" passed into Old French as "crime" and into Middle English as "cryme" or "crime," taking the place of the native Old English word "firen."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/crime (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).