crime 
/ˈkraɪm/ noun
plural crimes /ˈkraɪm/ noun 1 [count] : an illegal act for which someone can be punished by the government
▪ Have you ever been convicted of a crime? = Were you ever found guilty of a crime? ▪ a very serious crime ▪ She paid dearly for her crimes. ▪ The punishment didn't fit the crime. [=the punishment was too mild/severe] ▪ evidence that helped them solve the crime ▪ a federal crime ▪ weapons used to commit crimes [=to do something illegal] ▪ I've committed no crime. = I haven't committed any crime. ▪ He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit. ▪ laws against hate crimes [=crimes that people commit because they hate the victim's race, religion, etc.] ▪ He thought he had committed a/the perfect crime. [=a crime that leaves no evidence] — see also war crime, white-collar crime 2 [noncount] : activity that is against the law : illegal acts in general
▪ poverty and crime ▪ Hiring more police officers would help prevent/deter/reduce (the amount of) crime in our city. ▪ leaders who are tough on crime = leaders who work hard to fight crime ▪ He turned to a life of crime [=he became a criminal] as a teenager. ▪ He has links to organized crime. [=a group of professional criminals who work together as part of a powerful and secret organization] ▪ the recent increase in violent crime — often used before another noun ▪ high crime rates ▪ crime novels/stories ▪ We found your wallet at the crime scene. [=the place where a crime happened] ▪ a crime wave [=a sudden increase in the amount of crime in an area] ◊Someone's partner in crime is a person who helps someone commit a crime.
▪ He was her partner in crime for most of the robberies. 3 [singular] : an act that is foolish or wrong
▪ It's a crime [=sin] to let food go to waste. ▪ Being single is not a crime. ▪ There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.
▪ Have you ever been convicted of a crime? = Were you ever found guilty of a crime? ▪ a very serious crime ▪ She paid dearly for her crimes. ▪ The punishment didn't fit the crime. [=the punishment was too mild/severe] ▪ evidence that helped them solve the crime ▪ a federal crime ▪ weapons used to commit crimes [=to do something illegal] ▪ I've committed no crime. = I haven't committed any crime. ▪ He was punished for a crime that he didn't commit. ▪ laws against hate crimes [=crimes that people commit because they hate the victim's race, religion, etc.] ▪ He thought he had committed a/the perfect crime. [=a crime that leaves no evidence] — see also war crime, white-collar crime
▪ poverty and crime ▪ Hiring more police officers would help prevent/deter/reduce (the amount of) crime in our city. ▪ leaders who are tough on crime = leaders who work hard to fight crime ▪ He turned to a life of crime [=he became a criminal] as a teenager. ▪ He has links to organized crime. [=a group of professional criminals who work together as part of a powerful and secret organization] ▪ the recent increase in violent crime — often used before another noun ▪ high crime rates ▪ crime novels/stories ▪ We found your wallet at the crime scene. [=the place where a crime happened] ▪ a crime wave [=a sudden increase in the amount of crime in an area] ◊Someone's partner in crime is a person who helps someone commit a crime.
▪ He was her partner in crime for most of the robberies.
▪ It's a crime [=sin] to let food go to waste. ▪ Being single is not a crime. ▪ There's no greater crime than forgetting your anniversary.
crime against humanity
: a very cruel or terrible illegal act that is directed against a group of people
▪ The country's former leader was tried for crimes against humanity.
▪ The country's former leader was tried for crimes against humanity.
