Crime and Punishment: English Vocabulary List

to put someone in prison or keep them somewhere and not let them go

"The judge will imprison the convicted felon."

"The judge decided to imprison the repeat offender for ten years to protect the public from further harm."

proof that indicates a person was somewhere other than the place where a crime took place and therefore could not have committed it

"He had a strong alibi because he was at work all day."

"The suspect claimed a strong alibi because he was at a family dinner with twenty relatives who could confirm he was nowhere near the crime scene."

the crime of demanding money or benefits from someone by threatening to reveal secret or sensitive information about them

"The spy used the secrets for emotional blackmail."

"Emotional blackmail is a dysfunctional dynamic where one person uses a sense of obligation"

the act of using violence such as killing people, bombing, etc. to gain political power

"Terrorism hurts many innocent people."

"The government is working hard to stop terrorism and protect citizens from violent attacks."

the illegal act of purposefully damaging a property belonging to another person or organization

"The park has been ruined by senseless vandalism."

"Vandalism of a cultural site is considered a serious criminal offense in many countries"

the act of taking someone against their will and imprisoning them

"Child kidnapping solved."

"The police solved the child kidnapping case and rescued the boy safely after three days of hard work."

the illegal use of someone's name and personal information without their knowledge, particularly to gain money or goods

"Identity theft is a crime."

"Identity theft can damage a person's finances and privacy for years."

the unlawful seizure of a vehicle in transit, usually to rob it or force it to change course

"Plane hijack failed."

"The plane hijack attempt failed because of quick action by security forces on board the aircraft."

the illegal trade of people for forced labor, sexual exploitation, or other forms of coercion

"Stop human trafficking."

"Many organizations work hard to stop human trafficking and protect victims around the world every day."

the crime of taking goods from a store without paying for them

"Shoplifting is theft."

"Shoplifting hurts stores and often leads to legal trouble."

the action of stealing from a person's pocket or bag

"Pickpocketing common here."

"Pickpocketing is very common in crowded tourist areas during the summer season every year."

the act of threatening someone or beating them in order to gain some money

"Street mugging happened."

"Street mugging happens frequently in some parts of the city at night unfortunately."

the act of offering money to an authority to gain advantage

"The mayor was convicted of bribery and corruption."

"Bribery of a foreign public official is a criminal offense under the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention"

the killing of a criminal as punishment

"Some countries still use capital punishment."

"Capital punishment remains a deeply controversial practice"

the punishment in which an individual is made to stay in jail for the rest of their life, typically for committing a serious crime

"He received life sentence."

"The judge handed down a life sentence for the heinous crime committed."

(of a crime, suicide, etc.) not done successfully

"He was charged with attempted murder."

"He was charged with attempted murder because he tried to kill his neighbor but failed."

to make someone pay a sum of money as punishment for violation of the law

"The court will fine the speeding driver."

"The court will fine the driver five hundred dollars for running a red light and causing an accident."

someone held prisoner by a person or group who will be set free if the demands of that person or group are met

"The hostage was freed yesterday."

"The bank robber took three employees hostage during the attempted robbery and threatened to hurt them."

the act of breaking a legal code

"Traffic violation fined."

"He received a fine for a serious traffic violation last week from the police officer."

an act of crime in which someone physically attacks another person

"The assault happened last night."

"The victim reported the physical assault to the police immediately after it occurred."

an attempt to gather the facts of a matter such as a crime, incident, etc. to find out the truth

"The investigation continues."

"The thorough investigation into the financial fraud uncovered widespread corruption within the company."

someone who is believed to be guilty of an offence

"The police interrogated the main suspect."

"The police are questioning a main suspect who was seen near the crime scene last night."

a person who does or is involved in an illegal activity

"The criminal has a long record."

"The criminal has a long record and has been convicted of theft assault and drug possession."

a person found guilty of a crime and sent to prison

"The convict served ten years in prison"

"The escaped convict was recaptured within three days and returned to maximum security prison."

to admit, especially to the police or legal authorities, that one has committed a crime or has done something wrong

"He will confess his crime to the police."

"After hours of questioning the suspect finally decided to confess to the crime and apologized for his terrible actions."

a formal statement made by a person admitting that they are guilty of a crime

"His confession shocked the entire courtroom"

"The suspect's confession was videotaped and later used as evidence during the trial."

to break an agreement, law, etc.

"They breach the law."

"By ignoring the court order, the company was found to have committed a serious breach of legal regulations."

the act of cheating in order to make illegal money

"The company committed tax fraud."

"The accountant was convicted of fraud after stealing millions of dollars from his clients over several years."

the punishment that the court assigned for a guilty person

"What is his sentence?"

"The judge imposed a severe sentence on the defendant for his heinous crimes against society."

any act that is against a law

"That is a criminal offense."

"Driving without a license is considered a minor offense in most countries."

to catch an animal or a person and keep them as a prisoner

"They capture the bird."

"The security forces managed to capture the fugitive after a lengthy pursuit."

to give a severe punishment to someone who has committed a major crime

"The judge will condemn him."

"The international community will condemn the atrocities committed by the regime."

using one's power or authority to do illegal things for personal gain or financial benefit

"The officer is corrupt."

"The corrupt official accepted bribes from construction companies and he was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for his crimes."

an amount of money that must be paid as punishment for breaking a rule or law

"Pay the penalty."

"Failure to submit your tax return on time will result in a significant financial penalty."

a state in which a person is kept in jail or prison, particularly while waiting to be tried

"He is in custody."

"The suspect was taken into custody pending further investigation into the alleged fraud."

not having committed a wrongdoing or offense

"The man is innocent."

"The innocent man was freed from prison after DNA evidence proved that he did not commit the crime."

having done something that is not legal offense

"He felt guilty."

"Despite his initial claims of innocence, he eventually admitted to being guilty of the crime."