Ways to talk about crime in English
There are a lot of specialized words and phrases in English. There is formal terminology that judges, lawyers, and newspaper reporters use. There's also informal language that people use when talking about crimes in casual conversation. This list will get you started with some common phrases that are "in between": not slang, but not too technical.
Actions related to crime:
- attempt (a crime) - try to do it
- commit (a crime) - do it
- get arrested for (a crime) - get caught by the police and taken to jail
- be accused of (a crime) - have someone say that you did it
- be charged with (a crime) - be officially accused through the legal process
- be suspected of (a crime) - have people think that you did it
- be acquitted of (a crime) - have a judge or jury decide that you're not guilty
- be convicted of (a crime) - have a judge or jury decide that you're guilty
- serve time for (a crime) - go to prison because you did it
- witness (a crime) - see what happened
- be a victim of (a crime) - have a crime done to you
Some examples of crimes:
Violent crime includes the following:
- armed robbery (like robbing a bank or a liquor store)
- mugging (robbing someone by threatening them with a gun or knife)
- murder (killing someone)
- kidnapping (taking someone and keeping them illegally)
- assault (beating someone up)
- sexual assault / rape (having sex with someone who doesn't want it)
White-collar crimes are different kinds of theft and fraud that don't physically threaten anyone.
- insurance fraud (making a false claim in order to get money from an insurance company)
- identity theft (taking someone's personal information so that you can use their credit cards or bank accounts)
- tax evasion (not paying your taxes on purpose)
- bribery (giving money to a politician, police officer, etc. to get favors from them)
- blackmail (threatening to release someone's secrets in order to control them)
Misdemeanors are less serious crimes which usually don't cause serious harm to other people.
- shoplifting (stealing something out of a store)
- drug posession (having illegal drugs)
- vandalism (doing graffiti or breaking things)
- prostitution (having sex for money)
- tresspassing (going onto someone's property without permission)
- drunk driving
Common sayings related to "crime"
- "Crime doesn't pay."
- "You do the crime, you do the time."
Ways to describe people
- a criminal
- a suspect
- an accused murderer
- an accomplice (someone who helps someone to commit a crime)
Other phrases related to crime
- the criminal justice system
- crime rates are going up
- the punishment doesn't fit the crime
- organized crime (like the mafia)
