Crime and Justice Vocabulary
1.1. Word Families
Crimes and Criminals
- Crime: Crime
- Criminal: Criminal
- Verb: To commit a crime
- Robbery: Robbery
- Robber: Robber
- Verb: To rob
- Pickpocketing: Pickpocketing
- Pickpocket: Pickpocket
- Verb: To pickpocket
- Burglary: Burglary
- Burglar: Burglar
- Verb: To burgle
- Theft: Theft
- Thief: Thief (plural: thieves)
- Verb: To steal (we don’t use the verb “to thief” anymore)
- Shoplifting: Shoplifting
- Shoplifter: Shoplifter
- Verb: To shoplift
- Mugging: Mugging
- Mugger: Mugger
- Verb: To mug
2. Types of Crime II
- Blackmail: To blackmail (verb); blackmail (noun)
- Drug dealing: Drug trafficking
- Fraud: Fraud
- Kidnapping: Kidnapping
- Murder: Murder
- Bribery: Bribery
- Smuggling: Smuggling
- Vandalism: Vandalism
- Assault: Assault
- Rape: Rape
- Arson: Arson
- Hijacking: Hijacking (of a vehicle, such as an airplane)
3. Evidence and Trials: A Crime Story
- To charge with: To accuse of (e.g., “The police charged him with theft.”)
- To commit: To commit (past tense: committed)
- To arrest: To arrest
- To report: To report
- To sentence: To sentence
- To plead: To plead (past tense: pleaded or pled)
- To deliver: To deliver (e.g., “The jury delivered a verdict of guilty.”)
- To find guilty/not guilty: To find guilty/not guilty
- To convict: To convict
- To acquit: To acquit
- Attorney: Attorney
- Bail: Bail
- Witnesses: Witnesses
- Released on parole: Released on parole
- Verdict: Verdict
- Weapon: Weapon
- Evidence: Evidence (uncountable)
Common Phrases
- Charged with
- Arrested for
- Found guilty of
- Sentenced to
- Convicted of
- Acquitted of
4. Evidence and Trials: Witnesses
- Eye-witnesses: Eye-witnesses
- Testify: To testify
- Under oath: Under oath
- Lineup (photo array): Lineup
- Testimony: Testimony
- Expert witnesses: Expert witnesses
- The prosecution: The prosecution
- The defense: The defense
5. Extra Vocabulary
- Domestic violence: Domestic violence
- Violence against women (VAW): Violence against women
- Credibility: Credibility
- To rehabilitate (verb): To rehabilitate
- Rehabilitation (noun): Rehabilitation
- Offender: Offender (a person who breaks the law)
- To punish (verb): To punish
- Punishment (noun): Punishment
- The death penalty: The death penalty
- Sexism: Sexism
- To commit (do, make) a crime: To commit a crime
- A life sentence: A life sentence
- White-collar crime: White-collar crime
- Hate crimes: Hate crimes
- Gang rape: Gang rape
- Rapist: Rapist
- Insurance premium: Insurance premium (amount of money to be paid regularly for protection against risks)
- Opportunist criminal: Opportunist criminal
- Unskilled: Unskilled
- Profitable: Profitable (earning money from something)
- Throughout: Throughout (e.g., throughout the country)
- On average: On average
- To equate: To equate
- To surpass: To surpass (to go beyond or exceed)
- Figure: Figure
- Rate: Rate
- Spare parts: Spare parts (replacements for something that is old, damaged, or broken)
- To rise (past tense: rose): To rise
- As a whole: As a whole
- Abroad: Abroad
- Target: Target (an object of desire)
- “Home-grown”: “Home-grown”
- The ignition: The ignition
- The trunk: The trunk
- Dump: To dump (to abandon something that is not wanted anymore)
- Out of sight: Out of sight (not in one’s vision)
- Discourage: To discourage (to try to stop something by creating difficulties; opposite: encourage)
- Petty: Petty (insignificant, not important)
- Arsonist: Arsonist
- To bribe: To bribe
- Set fire: To set fire
- Blow: Blow
- Failed attempt: Failed attempt
- Counterfeit: Counterfeit
- Hostage: Hostage
- To stab (verb): To stab (present participle: stabbing)
- A stab (noun): A stab wound
- Victimized: Victimized
- Scam: Scam
- Robbed: Robbed
- Sexual assault: Sexual assault
- Armed robbery: Armed robbery
- Abduction: Abduction
- Credit card skimming: Credit card skimming
- Misdemeanor: Misdemeanor
- Suspect: Suspect
- Reasonable doubt: Reasonable doubt
- Jury: Jury