crime

/kraɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /kraɪm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkrīm/ (ame, mw)

crime — noun

  • crimesingular
  • crimesplural

1. behaviour that breaks the law, considered as a general type of activity rather t

1.名詞A2
釋義

behaviour that breaks the law, considered as a general type of activity rather than specific individual acts

例句

Adaeze grew up where crime was common and people feared walking alone at night.

crime + be + adjective (crime was common)

The government plans to spend more money on fighting crime by hiring more police officers.

collocation: fight crime

同義詞
  • criminality

    more formal; often used in academic or legal writing about patterns of crime

  • lawbreaking

    emphasises the aspect of breaking established rules; less common in everyday speech

  • delinquency

    mainly used for young people's minor illegal behaviour; narrower in scope

反義詞
  • lawfulness

    formal; describes behaviour that follows the law

  • legality

    focuses on whether something is permitted by law, not on absence of crime

文法句型

crime (as a general concept)

用法筆記

This is an uncountable use of crime that refers to illegal activity in general. Do not use 'a' or 'an' before it. For a specific illegal act, see sense 2 (countable).

常見錯誤

❌He committed crime in his youth.
✅He turned to crime in his youth.
💡when talking about illegal behaviour in general, use 'turn to crime' or 'involved in crime', not 'commit'. Use 'commit a crime' for a specific act (sense 2).

2. a specific act that breaks a law and for which a court may order a fine or priso

2.名詞A2
釋義

a specific act that breaks a law and for which a court may order a fine or prison time as punishment

例句

Mauricio was arrested for a crime he did not commit, but the evidence proved him innocent.

collocation: commit a crime

Shoplifting is a minor crime that can still result in a criminal record and a fine.

[specific type] + is + a crime

同義詞
  • offence

    the most common synonym; used in legal contexts and everyday speech

  • felony

    a serious crime such as murder or robbery; mainly US legal term

  • misdemeanour

    a less serious crime; mainly US legal term; spelled 'misdemeanor' in American English

文法句型

commit + a crime

a crime of + noun

[type] + crime

常見錯誤

❌The crime has been rising in this city.' (ambiguous — general or specific?).
✅Crime has been rising in this city.' for general trend; 'Violent crimes have been rising.' for specific types.

3. an action that you consider shocking or deeply unfair, even though no actual law

3.名詞B2
釋義

an action that you consider shocking or deeply unfair, even though no actual law is broken — for example, closing a hospital that people depend on, or paying workers unfairly while the company makes large profits

例句

Mia claimed it was a crime that the old library had been knocked down for a shopping mall car park.

pattern: it is a crime that + clause

Shirin considers it a crime to pay experienced nurses such low wages while the hospital executives earn millions.

pattern: it is a crime to + infinitive

同義詞
  • outrage

    stronger emotional tone; focuses on the feeling of anger something causes

  • disgrace

    emphasises shame and public disapproval

  • sin

    informal or religious; suggests moral failure rather than legal wrong

文法句型

it is a crime that + clause

it is a crime to + infinitive

it would be a crime to + infinitive

用法筆記

This is a non-legal, figurative use. It expresses strong disapproval but does not refer to an actual law. The patterns 'it is a crime that...' and 'it is a crime to...' are the most common structures.

常見錯誤

❌Not recycling is a crime.' (sounds literal and odd).
✅It is a crime that our city does not have a proper recycling programme.
💡the figurative sense works best with the 'it is a crime that...' pattern.

4. a type of book, film, or television show that tells a story about a crime and th

4.名詞B1
釋義

a type of book, film, or television show that tells a story about a crime and the process of finding out who committed it

例句

Ignacio loves crime novels, especially ones with clever detectives and surprising endings.

crime + noun (modifier: crime novel)

The new crime drama on Saturday nights has become the most watched show on television this year.

crime drama

同義詞
  • detective fiction

    a sub-genre focused on the detective figure; more specific than 'crime fiction'

  • mysteries

    used in the plural to refer to books or films in this genre; broader and may include non-crime puzzles

  • noir

    a darker, more stylistic sub-genre of crime fiction, often set in urban environments

文法句型

crime + noun (modifier)

crime as a genre

用法筆記

When referring to the genre, 'crime' is an uncountable noun. It is very often used as a modifier before another noun: crime novel, crime film, crime drama, crime fiction. The noun 'crime' alone cannot mean a book or film.

常見錯誤

❌I read a crime last night.
✅I read a crime novel last night.
💡the word 'crime' on its own does not mean a book; it must be followed by a genre word like 'novel', 'fiction', or 'story'.