Tra từ crime - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

crime [crime crimes crimed criming] BrE [kraɪm] NAmE [kraɪm] noun
1. uncountable activities that involve breaking the law
•an increase in violent crime
•the fight against crime
• Stores spend more and more on crime prevention every year.
•petty/serious crime
•the connection between drugs and organized crime
• He turned to crime when he dropped out of school.
•The crime rate is rising.
•crime fiction/novels (= stories about crime)
•crime figures/statistics
•She's a crime writer (= she writes stories about crime).
2. countable ~ (against sb) an illegal act or activity that can be punished by law
•to commit a crime (= do sth illegal)
• The massacre was a crime against humanity.
• In his mind he was about to commit the perfect crime.
see also ↑war crime
3. a crimesingular (informal)an act that you think is immoral or is a big mistake
•It's a crime to waste so much money.

Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘wickedness, sin’): via Old French from Latin crimen ‘judgement, offence’, based on cernere ‘to judge’.

Culture:
punishment
Punishment for people who break the law is decided in a court of law. In the US federal, state and local governments each have their own systems of law and of punishment. The Constitution forbids ‘cruel and unusual punishment’, but it is the responsibility of the ↑Supreme Court to decide whether a punishment is ‘cruel and unusual’. In Britain, the Scottish legal system is different from that in England and Wales, but methods of punishment are similar throughout Britain.
When an accused person is found guilty of a crime the judge decides what punishment they should suffer. In both Britain and the US the least serious offences are punished by fines which must be paid to the court. Fines or fixed penalties (= fines at a level decided in advance) are often imposed for minor traffic offences such as parking illegally and can be paid by post without the need to go to court.
If a fine is not considered adequate, a person may be sentenced to do ↑community service (= work without pay in hospitals, homes for old people, etc.) or be put on probation (= required to have regular meetings with a social worker over a set period). When the crime committed is more serious, the convicted personis likely to be given a prison sentence. If it is their first offence the sentence may be suspended (= only carried out if the person is found guilty of another crime) and the person is allowed to remain free on a conditional discharge.
If a person is given a prison sentence its length depends on how serious their crime is and on their past record. If a person thinks the sentence is too severe they have the right to appeal against it in a higher court, which has the power to reduce the sentence. As a reward for good behaviour prisoners are often given remission (= are released early). Others get parole, which means that they can go free as long as they do not commit any further crimes. In the US the number of people on probation has increased in recent years, as there is not always room in prisons for all those given a prison sentence. A variety of non-custodial punishments (= ones not requiring time in prison) have been tried in both Britain and the US, including electronic tagging. This punishment requires people to stay in their homes and wear a device that informs the police if they leave.
In Britain the maximum sentence that can be handed down by a judge is a life sentence, which in fact usually means spending about 20-25 years in prison. Convicted murderers are given life sentences. The most serious punishment in the US is the death penalty. Not all states allow ↑capital punishment, and in those that do, before it can be carried out there may be many years of appeals.

Thesaurus:
crime noun
1. U
•This month's figures show an increase in violent crime.
vice • • delinquency • |formal wrongdoing • • misconduct •
serious crime/delinquency/wrongdoing/misconduct
sexual crime/vice/misconduct
juvenile crime/delinquency
cause/tackle/control/prevent crime/delinquency
2. C
•Many crimes are never reported.
sin • • outrage • • atrocity • |BrE offence • |AmE offense • |BrE, formal misdemeanour • |AmE, law misdemeanor • • felony • |formal wrong •
a/an crime/sin/outrage/atrocity/offence against sb/sth
commit a/an crime/sin/outrage/atrocity/offence/misdemeanour/felony
forgive a/an crime/sin/outrage/offence/misdemeanour/wrong
Crime or offence? In everyday language crime is used more often than offence for more serious illegal acts, such as murder or rape. Offence is used more frequently for illegal activities such as driving too fast, carrying a gun or using drugs. However, in legal contexts, offence is the preferred technical term for all illegal acts.

Collocations:
Crime
Committing a crime
commit a crime/a murder/a violent assault/a brutal killing/an armed robbery/fraud
be involved in terrorism/a suspected arson attack/people smuggling/human trafficking
engage/participate in criminal activity/illegal practices/acts of mindless vandalism
steal sb's wallet/purse/(BrE) mobile phone/(NAmE) cell phone
rob a bank/a person/a tourist
break into/ (BrE) burgle/ (NAmE) burglarize a house/a home/an apartment
hijack a plane/ship/bus
smuggle drugs/weapons/arms/immigrants
launder drug money (through sth)
forge documents/certificates/passports
take/accept/pay sb/offer (sb) a bribe
run a phishing/an email/an Internet scam
Fighting crime
combat/fight crime/terrorism/corruption/drug trafficking
prevent/stop credit-card fraud/child abuse/software piracy
deter/stop criminals/burglars/thieves/shoplifters/vandals
reduce/tackle/crack down on knife/gun/violent/street crime; (especially BrE) antisocial behaviour
foil a bank raid/a terrorist plot
help/support/protect the victims of crime
Investigating crime
report a crime/a theft/a rape/an attack/(especially BrE) an incident to the police
witness the crime/attack/murder/incident
investigate a murder/(especially NAmE) a homicide/a burglary/a robbery/the alleged incident
conduct/launch/pursue an investigation (into…); (especially BrE) a police/murder inquiry
investigate/reopen a criminal/murder case
examine/investigate/find fingerprints at the crime scene/the scene of crime
collect/gather forensic evidence
uncover new evidence/a fraud/a scam/a plot/a conspiracy/political corruption/a cache of weapons
describe/identify a suspect/the culprit/the perpetrator/the assailant/the attacker
question/interrogate a suspect/witness
solve/crack the case
more collocations at ↑justice

Collocations:
Criminal justice
Breaking the law
break/violate/obey/uphold the law
be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud
be arrested/ (especially NAmE) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US) felony charges
be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting
be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially NAmE) homicide/four counts of fraud
face two charges of indecent assault
admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for sth)
deny the allegations/claims/charges
confess to a crime
grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail
The legal process
stand/await/bring sb to/come to/be on trial
take sb to/come to/settle sth out of court
face/avoid/escape prosecution
seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel
hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial
sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury
sit/stand/appear/be put/place sb in the dock
plead guilty/not guilty to a crime
be called to/enter (BrE) the witness box
take/put sb on the stand/(NAmE) the witness stand
call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness
give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of sb
raise/withdraw/overrule an objection
reach a unanimous/majority verdict
return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death
convict/acquit the defendant of the crime
secure a conviction/your acquittal
lodge/file an appeal
appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict
Sentencing and punishment
pass sentence on sb
carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence
receive/be given the death penalty
be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)
carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)
be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder
do/serve time/ten years
be sent to/put sb in/be released from jail/prison
be/put sb/spend X years on death row
be granted/be denied/break (your) parole
more collocations at ↑crime

Example Bank:
•Corporate crime— committed by businesses— should not be confused with white-collar crime, which refers to the occupation of the perpetrator and may be directed against a business.
•Fear of crime imprisons many elderly people in their homes.
•Gun crime is just part of an increasingly lawless society.
•Hate crimes are not punished severely enough in my opinion.
•He boasted of having carried out the perfect crime.
•He confessed his crime to his sister.
•He says that bored youngsters turn to crime.
•He was charged with the lesser crime of possessing a forged bond, rather than actually forging it.
•He was charged with the lesser crime of possession.
•How can we reduce knife crime in our cities?
•Identity theft is the fastest growing white-collar crime in the country.
•Insider dealing has been called a victimless crime.
•Many crimes are never reported to the police.
•No weapon was found at the scene of the crime.
•Not returning phone calls is a grave crime in today's culture.
•Police forces will exchange ideas on cracking crime.
•She claimed that the real crime is that burglars and muggers usually get a light sentence.
•She never faced trial for her many alleged crimes.
•The computers were sent to a crime lab for analysis.
•The crime occurred in broad daylight.
•The public have a crucial role to play in detecting crime.
•The punishment should fit the crime.
•Unemployed young people were likely to be tempted into a life of crime.
•Victims of crime may be able to obtain compensation.
•a crackdown on drug-related crime
•a hate crime against a young gay man
•a man who solves crimes using old-fashioned detective work
•a new short story by the popular crime writer
•a senior detective with the serious crime squad
•a system of justice to prosecute crimes of terrorism
•a time of great poverty and rampant crime
•an apparently motiveless crime
•attempts to prevent hacking and computer crime
•crimes against humanity
•crimes involving firearms
•crimes punishable by death
•leading members of an organized crime syndicate
•one of New York's biggest crime lords
•one of the most horrific crimes of recent times
•one of the most notorious crimes in British history
•the biggest crime since the Great Train Robbery
•the country's crime problem
•the danger of copycat crimes in the wake of the shootings
•the latest TV crime series
•the newspaper's crime reporter
•It's a crime to waste so much money.
•More needs to be done to help the victims of crime.
•She had never committed a crime in her life.
•She writes crime novels.
•The massacre was a crime against humanity.
•There is a strong link between drugs and organized crime.
•There needs to be a partnership between police and public in the fight against crime.
•These youngsters are often involved in petty crime such as shoplifting and casual theft.
•This month's figures show an increase in violent crime.