Crime
/kraɪm/noun
An act committed in violation of a law prohibiting it.
Did you know?The concept of crime has been tied to moral transgression since ancient times, connecting sin, law, and societal order in a complex web of human behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krei-
“to sift, separate, or discriminate, indicating a process of sorting or evaluating actions.”
Latin
Latin
crimen
“an accusation, fault, or offense, derived from the verb 'cernere', meaning to sift or distinguish.”
Old French
Old French
crimne
“an offense or sin, reflecting the legal context of wrongdoing.”
Middle English
Middle English
crimne
“a wrongful act, particularly one punishable by law.”
Modern English
English
crime
“an action that constitutes an offense against the state or public.”
Explore more surprising origins