Crime & Law

20 words

1. 1

   culpritnoun/ˈkʌlprɪt/

   the person or thing responsible for a problem or crime

   “The police finally caught the culprit after reviewing CCTV footage.”

2. 2

   deterrencenoun/dɪˈtɛrəns/

   the effect of preventing criminal behaviour by making punishments seem likely or severe

   “Harsher penalties are sometimes justified in the name of deterrence.”

3. 3

   rehabilitationnoun/ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/

   programmes or processes that help offenders return to normal life and stop reoffending

   “Prison rehabilitation programmes often include education and vocational training.”

4. 4

   recidivismnoun/rɪˈsɪdɪvɪz(ə)m/

   the tendency of a convicted person to reoffend after being released

   “Reducing recidivism is a major goal of rehabilitation programmes.”

5. 5

   manslaughternoun/ˈmænslɔːtə(r)/

   unlawful killing of a person without premeditation or malice aforethought

   “He was charged with manslaughter after the fatal car accident.”

6. 6

   litigationnoun/ˌlɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/

   the process of taking legal action or carrying on a lawsuit in court

   “The company avoided costly litigation by settling the dispute out of court.”

7. 7

   motivenoun/ˈməʊtɪv/

   the reason why someone does something, especially a crime

   “Police are still trying to establish the motive for the attack.”

8. 8

   prosecuteverb/ˈprɒsɪkjuːt/

   to take legal action against someone in court for a crime

   “The state decided not to prosecute due to lack of evidence.”

9. 9

   allegationnoun/ˌælɪˈɡeɪʃən/

   a claim that someone has done something wrong, often without proof

   “The newspaper published an allegation that the mayor accepted bribes.”

10. 10

    assaultnoun / verb/əˈsɔːlt/

    a violent physical attack; (verb) to make a violent physical attack on someone

    “He was charged with assault after the street fight.”

11. 11

    surveillancenoun/səˈveɪləns/

    close observation of a person or area, especially by the police or security services

    “The bank increased surveillance after a series of robberies.”

12. 12

    exonerateverb/ɪɡˈzɒnəreɪt/

    to officially declare someone not guilty of a crime or free them from blame

    “New DNA evidence helped to exonerate the man after 10 years in prison.”

13. 13

    mitigatingadjective/ˈmɪtɪɡeɪtɪŋ/

    making a wrongdoing seem less serious; factors that reduce the blame or punishment

    “The judge considered several mitigating circumstances before passing sentence.”

14. 14

    offendernoun/əˈfendə/

    a person who commits a crime or breaks the law

    “The police are looking for the offender who fled the scene.”

15. 15

    homicidenoun/ˈhɒmɪsaɪd/

    the killing of one person by another; a legal term covering different kinds of killing

    “The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.”

16. 16

    accomplicenoun/əˈkʌmplɪs/

    a person who helps someone else to commit a crime

    “The police charged him as an accomplice after phone records linked him to the robbery.”

17. 17

    jurisdictionnoun/ˌdʒʊərɪsˈdɪkʃən/

    the official power to make legal decisions and judgments; the area in which this power is exercised

    “The case fell under the jurisdiction of the federal court.”

18. 18

    forgerynoun/ˈfɔːdʒəri/

    the act of making a fake version of something (document, signature, money) to deceive

    “He was arrested for forgery after signing fake invoices.”

19. 19

    embezzlementnoun/ɪmˈbezlmənt/

    theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust or belonging to one's employer

    “The accountant was convicted of embezzlement after auditors discovered missing funds.”

20. 20

    perjurynoun/ˈpɜːdʒəri/

    the crime of lying after taking an oath in a court of law

    “The witness was later charged with perjury when videotape showed she lied.”