criminal offense
14
3.5
- noun
- /ˈkrɪmɪnəl əˈfɛns/
- US
- The judge explained that driving under the influence is considered a criminal offense.
- make it a criminal offense
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Watch on YouTubeThere are hundreds of thousands of arrests of people for suspicion of criminal offense per year in this country.
- There are hundreds of thousands of arrests of people for suspicion of criminal offense per year in this country.
Examples
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It's a criminal offense to make false police reports.
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Blackmail is a criminal offense.
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This is a criminal offense.
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It's probably a criminal offense.
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Be aware that transferring assets at the wrong time may now be a criminal offense.
Academic text (1998) -
Misleading advertising is currently a criminal offense under the Act.
Academic text (1993) -
Solicitation is a criminal offense.
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Workers can be dismissed only for criminal offenses or very serious disciplinary violations.
Academic text (1996) -
As a result, Calderon and Lynch were both convicted of criminal offenses.
Academic text (2017) -
Georgia's justice system differentiates between criminal offenses, which are felonies, and administrative offenses, which are misdemeanors.
Blog text (6)
Synonyms
∞
1.4
An act that breaks the law and can be punished
351
3.3
An act that breaks a law or rule
4
3.7
Doing things that are illegal
How Serious
- Specialized
310
5.5
- US
14
3.5
- Specialized
133
6.0
47
7.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'criminal offense' is directly compositional: 'criminal' (related to crime) modifies 'offense' (a legal violation), so the combined meaning — an act forbidden by law — is directly derivable from the parts. This modifier+noun pattern is regular in English and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
Criminal offense joins criminal, meaning someone or something that breaks the law, and offense, meaning an action that breaks a rule or hurts others, creating a clear picture of an act that goes against the law. So, a criminal offense is 'an act forbidden by law' and can lead to punishment like fines or prison.