Lesson 8A · New English File Upper Intermediate Vocabulary List

an unlawful act that is punishable by the legal system

"Stealing is a serious crime."

"The police are investigating a serious crime that happened downtown last night."

the act of making someone suffer because they have done something illegal or wrong

"The punishment was very harsh."

"The judge decided that the punishment for the crime was not severe enough to deter future offenders."

to illegally enter a place in order to commit theft

"Someone burgled their house last week."

"The criminals managed to burgle the house while the family was away on their summer vacation."

someone who illegally enters a place in order to steal something

"The burglar enters through the unlocked window."

"The burglar enters through the unlocked window and steals jewelry from the bedroom dresser."

to take something from someone or somewhere without permission or paying for it

"Do not steal from other people."

"The employee was fired after trying to steal money from the cash register when he thought no one was watching him."

the crime of entering a building to commit illegal activities such as stealing, damaging property, etc.

"Burglary happens when someone breaks in."

"Burglary is the unlawful entry into a building or other premises with the deliberate intent to commit an offence inside"

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"

someone who demands services or money in exchange for not revealing harmful information or doing something harmful

"The blackmailer demands money in exchange for silence."

"The blackmailer demands money in exchange for silence and threatens to release embarrassing photos."

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"

to persuade someone to do something, often illegal, by giving them an amount of money or something of value

"Do not bribe government officials."

"It is illegal to bribe a government official in exchange for preferential treatment or confidential information."

an individual who sells illegal drugs such as narcotics, opioids, etc.

"The drug dealer was caught."

"The police are actively working to dismantle the network of drug dealers in the city."

to give something to someone in exchange for money

"They sell fresh fruit here."

"The farmer sells fresh vegetables at the local market every Saturday morning."

a person who deceives others to gain money, particularly in business transactions

"The fraudster tricks elderly people out of their savings."

"The fraudster tricks elderly people out of their savings and pretends to be a bank official."

someone who uses computers to illegally access someone else's computer or phone

"The hacker entered fast."

"The hacker tried to break into the system from a hidden server."

to forcefully take control of a vehicle, like an airplane, often to take hostages or change its course

"Terrorists hijacked the passenger plane."

"The terrorists planned to hijack a passenger plane and demand the release of their leader."

someone who uses threats or violence to take control of a moving vehicle, particularly an airplane, to forcefully change the destination or demand something

"The hijacker demands fuel for the plane."

"The hijacker demands fuel for the plane and the pilot is forced to land at a small airport."

someone who takes an individual away and holds them in captivity, particularly to demand something for their release

"The kidnapper sends a ransom note to the family."

"The kidnapper sends a ransom note to the family and demands one million dollars for the child's release."

to take someone away and hold them in captivity, typically to demand something for their release

"The criminals planned to kidnap the child."

"The criminal planned to kidnap the wealthy businessman's daughter and demand a large ransom for her safe return."

a person who attacks and robs people in a public place

"The mugger took her bag."

"A mugger is a criminal who commits robbery by threatening or using violence against a victim in a public place"

to unlawfully and intentionally kill another human being

"The suspect planned to murder his rival."

"The suspect was charged with attempting to murder his neighbor after a long standing dispute over the property line."

a person who is guilty of killing another human being deliberately

"The murderer is sentenced to life in prison."

"The murderer is sentenced to life in prison and will never be released from custody."

to force someone to have sex against their will, particularly by using violence or threatening them

"The man was convicted for rape."

"The suspect was convicted of attempted rape and sentenced to fifteen years in prison without the possibility of parole."

someone who forcefully engages in sexual activity with another person without their agreement or permission, which is against the law and considered a serious crime

"The rapist is caught and brought to justice."

"The rapist is caught and brought to justice and the victim testifies against him in court."

the crime of stealing money or goods from someone or somewhere, especially by violence or threat

"He was sentenced for armed bank robbery."

"The convenience store was closed for several hours after an armed robbery took place there."

an individual who illegally and secretly imports or exports goods or people

"The smuggler hid drugs inside the truck."

"The smuggler hid the illegal goods inside a false compartment in his truck to avoid detection."

to move goods or people illegally and secretly into or out of a country

"He tried to smuggle drugs across the border."

"The criminal tried to smuggle illegal drugs across the border by hiding them inside a secret compartment in his car."

a person who repeatedly follows, watches, or harasses someone, causing fear or distress

"The stalker waits outside her home every night."

"The stalker waits outside her home every night and she is afraid to leave the house alone."

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."

person who uses violence or threats to achieve political or ideological goals by targeting innocent people or civilians

"The terrorist group claims responsibility for the attack."

"The terrorist group claims responsibility for the attack and the government increases security at public places."

the illegal act of taking something from a place or person without permission

"The theft happened last night."

"The theft of confidential documents caused major problems for the company."

someone who steals something from a person or place without using violence or threats

"The thief escaped."

"The thief was caught on security camera but his face was covered by a hood making identification difficult for the police investigation."

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"

to intentionally damage something, particularly public property

"Teens vandalized the park benches."

"The teenagers were arrested for trying to vandalize the school building by spray painting graffiti on the walls late at night."

the act of stealing property or money using a weapon

"The armed robbery takes place at a bank on Main Street."

"The armed robbery takes place at a bank on Main Street and the thieves escape with fifty thousand dollars."

a mark made by the unique pattern of lines on the tip of a person's finger, can be used to find out who has committed a crime

"Police discovered a fingerprint near the window"

"The detective lifted a fingerprint from the glass which matched a known criminal in the database."

one or multiple people who are believed to have committed a crime in a law court

"The accused pleads not guilty."

"The accused pleads not guilty and his lawyer argues that the evidence is circumstantial."

found to be not guilty of an illegal act in a law court

"The man was acquitted."

"The jury acquitted the defendant because the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

a group of twelve citizens, who listen to the details of a case in the court of law in order to decide the guiltiness or innocence of a defendant

"The jury decided he was guilty."

"The jury carefully reviewed all the evidence before making their final decision in court."

to officially state the punishment of someone found guilty in a court of law

"The judge will sentence the criminal tomorrow."

"The judge will sentence the convicted criminal to ten years in prison for his role in the bank robbery."

to use force to enter a building, vehicle, or other enclosed space, usually for the purpose of theft

"Someone tried to break into our house."

"Someone tried to break into our house last night but the alarm scared them away."

any illegal substance that people take in order to experience its mental or physical effects

"He took the drug."

"Possession of illegal drugs carries severe penalties and can ruin a person's future."

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."

to do a particular thing that is unlawful or wrong

"He did not commit a crime."

"It is imperative that individuals do not commit any acts of vandalism or violence."

(computing) to illegally access a computer system, network, or online account in order to find, use, or change the information it contains

"Hackers tried to hack into the system."

"The cyber criminal tried to hack into the bank's database to steal customer information but the security system stopped him completely."

to steal from someone by threatening them or using violence, particularly in a public place

"A thief tried to mug her."

"An elderly man was sadly mugged on his way home from work last night by two young men wearing hoodies."

to follow, watch, or pursue someone persistently and often secretly, causing them fear or discomfort

"He began to stalk her."

"The police warned the individual to cease any attempts to stalk the victim, as it was causing significant distress."

to activate a bomb, an explosive, etc.

"Do not set off."

"The bomb squad worked diligently to disarm the device and prevent anyone from accidentally setting it off."

an object that is designed to explode and cause destruction

"The bomb exploded."

"The bomb destroyed part of the building and caused panic."

a person who sees an event, especially a criminal scene

"The witness saw the accident."

"The police asked the witness to describe exactly what he saw on the night of the robbery."

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."

(of law enforcement agencies) to take a person away because they believe that they have done something illegal

"Police arrest the criminal suspect today."

"The police managed to arrest the thief after a short chase through the city streets."

to stop and hold an object that is moving through the air

"Catch the ball with both hands."

"The little boy tried to catch the butterfly with his bare hands but it flew away too quickly."

to officially accuse someone of an offense

"The police will charge him with theft."

"The police decided to charge the suspect with first degree murder after reviewing the evidence collected at the crime scene."

to try to find the truth about a crime, accident, etc. by carefully examining its facts

"The police will investigate the crime."

"Detectives will investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the sudden disappearance of the valuable artifact from the museum."

to have or express uncertainty about something

"The lawyer will question the witness."

"The reporter began to question the politician's motives after discovering inconsistencies in his previous statements."

a legal process where a judge and jury examine evidence in court to decide if the accused is guilty

"The trial will start next Monday."

"The trial lasted for three weeks before the jury finally reached a unanimous verdict of guilty."

the group of people in a court including the judge and the jury

"The court heard the case."

"The judge instructed the court to consider all the evidence presented."

a statement, document, or object that is used in a law court for establishing facts

"This is evidence."

"The prosecution presented compelling evidence that directly linked the defendant to the crime scene."

responsible for an illegal act or wrongdoing

"He is guilty."

"The jury found the defendant guilty of all charges presented."

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."

the official in charge of a court who decides on legal matters

"The judge sentenced him to five years in prison."

"The judge listened carefully to both lawyers before making a final decision on the court case."

information or evidence that proves the truth or existence of something

"We need strong proof."

"He showed proof of his identity."

an official decision made by the jury in a court after the legal proceedings

"The verdict made her cry."

"After hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty."