Criminals Vocabulary
Most countries have laws (official rules set by the government). Together, these laws are called "the Law". When people disobey the Law, we say that they "break the law", and we call such people "law breakers" or "criminals". Breaking the law is a "crime".
| This criminal (noun) | does this... | crime (noun) | action (verb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| accomplice | helps another person to commit a crime | aiding and abetting | aid and abet |
| arsonist | sets fire to other people's property illegally | arson | commit arson |
| assassin | kills people for political reasons, or in return for payment | assassination | assassinate |
| bigamist | marries more than one person at the same time | bigamy | commit bigamy |
| burglar | breaks in to buildings to steal | burglary | burgle |
| deserter | is a member of the armed forces who leaves without permission | desertion | desert |
| drug dealer | buys and sells illegal drugs | drug dealing | deal in drugs |
| forger | makes fake money or documents | forgery | forge |
| gangster | is a member of a violent criminal gang (group) | gangsterism | - |
| hijacker | takes control of a vehicle (plane, ship etc) by force and diverts it | hijacking | hijack |
| hooligan | is a violent young troublemaker | hooliganism | - |
| kidnapper | takes people away by force and demands money to free them | kidnapping | kidnap |
| mugger | attacks and robs people in a public place | mugging | mug |
| murderer | deliberately kills another person | murder | murder |
| offender | is anybody who breaks the law | committing an offence | offend |
| pickpocket | steals money etc from other people's pockets | pickpocketing | pickpocket |
| robber | steals money etc, using force or the threat of force | robbery | rob |
| shoplifter | steals goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer | shoplifting | shoplift |
| smuggler | moves goods illegally into or out of a country without paying tax | smuggling | smuggle |
| spy | secretly gets information about another country | spying | spy |
| industrial spy | secretly gets information about a company | industrial spying | spy |
| stowaway | hides on a plane or ship to travel secretly and free | stowing away | stow away |
| terrorist | uses violence for political reasons | terrorism | commit terrorism |
| thief | steals property from other people (without using violence) | theft | thieve |
| traitor | betrays his country to another country | treachery | betray |
| vandal | deliberately destroys or damages public property | vandalism | vandalize |