Spanish Conversation · Level 38
74 words
Spanish word
crimen
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈkɾimen/
Meaning
- masculine nouncrime
Example
La policía investiga el crimen.
The police are investigating the crime.
More examples
El juicio por el crimen se celebrará la próxima semana.
The trial for the crime will be held next week.
Core concept
Serious illegal act that harms other people.
Common phrases
cometer un crimen
commit a crime
investigar un crimen
investigate a crime
crimen organizado
organized crime
Similar words
delito: Act that breaks the law and can be prosecuted.
infracción: Breach of a rule or law, often a regulatory or administrative violation.
falta: Minor wrongdoing or breach, a low-level violation without serious harm.
Definition in Spanish
Acto o hecho penalmente reprochable y normalmente serio que vulnera la ley o los derechos de otras personas.
Word origin
From Latin crimen 'accusation, charge', which in the Romance languages shifted from 'accusation' to the harmful act so charged and became Spanish crimen.
Usage tips
- Usually reserved for serious offenses in speech and reporting; many lesser offenses use delito and very minor infractions use falta.