criminalistics

criminalistics — noun

1. the use of science to find, collect, and study physical proof from a crime so th

1.nounC2
Definition

the use of science to find, collect, and study physical proof from a crime so that investigators can understand what happened

Example

In criminalistics, Diego learned how to compare fingerprints from a window.

pattern: in criminalistics

The police lab used criminalistics to test the blood on Karim's jacket.

use criminalistics to + verb

Synonyms
  • forensic science

    the broader and more common label for scientific work used in legal investigation

  • forensics

    a shorter and often less formal way to refer to this kind of evidence-based work

Grammar Patterns

criminalistics + singular verb

Usage Note

Usually uncountable and used for the field, not for one test or one object. For the things found at a scene, say evidence or physical evidence, not criminalistics.

Common Mistakes

Criminalistics are important in every murder case.
Criminalistics is important in every murder case.
As the name of a field, criminalistics usually takes a singular verb.
The detective collected three criminalistics from the floor.
The detective collected three pieces of evidence from the floor.
criminalistics names the field, not the objects found at a scene.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Criminalistics is close to forensic science and forensics, but it is different from criminology. Criminalistics focuses on the scientific study of physical evidence such as fingerprints, blood, fibres, glass, or tool marks. Forensic science is the broader and more common term, and in some contexts it can include more than crime-scene evidence alone. Forensics is often a shorter, less formal label for the same kind of work. Criminology studies crime as a social problem, including causes, patterns, and prevention, rather than lab examination of evidence. Use criminalistics when you mean evidence-based investigation: 'Kemi is studying criminalistics.' Use criminology for theory and crime patterns: 'Kemi is writing a paper on urban criminology.'

forensic science ↗forensicscriminology

Common collocations

Nouns

  • criminalistics course
  • criminalistics expert
  • criminalistics lab
  • criminalistics unit

Phrases

  • study criminalistics
  • teach criminalistics
  • work in criminalistics
  • use criminalistics in court

Prepositions

  • in criminalistics

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Criminalistics is a modern English formation built from criminal and the ending -istics, which appears in names of fields of study or methods. The first part ultimately goes back to Latin crimen, meaning 'charge' or 'crime'. Together, the word came to refer to the scientific study of evidence used in criminal investigation.