crime

plural crimes

1. countableA specific act committed in violation of the law, especially criminal law.

   the commission of a crime

   2 more examples

   The generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, can be duped into providing detailed advice on how to commit crimes — ranging from money laundering to the export of weapons to sanctioned countries — a tech startup found.

   2024 October 23, Tricia Escobedo, “AI-generated crimes, a treasure mystery, quick thinking by bus passengers: Catch up on the day’s stories”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Dec 2024

   Trump’s crimes are considered white collar, which are usually nonviolent and often include fraud and corruption, according to the FBI. White collar crime “isn’t thought of as threatening in the same way as street crime, and high-status white offenders are not as burdened by criminal stigma,” Western said.

   2024 December 15, Kaan Ozcan and Sabrina Clay, “These convicted felons say if Trump can be elected president they shouldn’t face a stigma when applying for jobs”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Dec 2024

   Synonyms: criminal offence, unlawfulness

2. countableAny great sin or wickedness; iniquity.

   Those methods of saving money should be a crime.

   1 more example

   No crime was thine, if 'tis no crime to love.

   1687 (date written), Alexander Pope, “Ode for Musick on St. Cecilia’s Day”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], →OCLC, canto VI, page 376

   Synonyms: delinquency, wrongdoing, delict, delinquency, error, malfeasance, misdeed, misdemeanor

3. countableobsoleteThat which occasions crime.

   the tree of life, the crime of our first father's fall

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 46

4. uncountableCriminal acts collectively.

   an effort by the police to tackle crime in the city

   2 more examples

   Trump’s crimes are considered white collar, which are usually nonviolent and often include fraud and corruption, according to the FBI. White collar crime “isn’t thought of as threatening in the same way as street crime, and high-status white offenders are not as burdened by criminal stigma,” Western said.

   2024 December 15, Kaan Ozcan and Sabrina Clay, “These convicted felons say if Trump can be elected president they shouldn’t face a stigma when applying for jobs”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Dec 2024

   The State Department has given Ecuador $81 million since 2018 to help the country with its fight against organized crime and narcotics.

   2025 March 19, Hira Humayun and Michael Rios, “Ecuador’s president invites foreign armies to fight gangs in the country”, in CNN, archived from the original on 09 Apr 2025

   Synonyms: criminality, delinquency

5. uncountableThe habit or practice of committing crimes.

   Crime doesn’t pay.

present singular third person crimes · participle present criming · participle past crimed · past crimed

1. UKtransitivegovernmentTo subject to disciplinary punishment.

   Nevertheless, in the course of a few days he is again intoxicated, creates disturbance in his quarters, is confined by his sergeant, crimed, and brought before the commanding officer […]

   1846, John Mercier McMullen, Camp and Barrack-room, Or, The British Army as it is, page 298

2. nonce wordTo commit crime.

   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 Side, →ISBN, page 61

1. computingA particular security exploit against secret Web cookies over connections using the HTTPS and SPDY protocols that also use data compression. It relies on observing the change in size of the compressed ciphertext for various inputs.