statutory offense
- noun
- /ˈstætʃəˌtɔri əˈfɛns/
- Formal
- The company was fined for committing a statutory offense by violating environmental regulations.
Examples
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For example, the Ontario Environmental Protection Act provides for a variety of statutory offenses that relate, in essence, to the protection of the natural environment.
Academic text (1992) -
As mentioned previously, the concept of private prosecutions is restricted to use in Canada and is not available to Canadians seeking redress for a statutory offense committed in the U.S.
Academic text (1992) -
Indiscretion in conversation or any other form, within or without these rooms regarding what happens here, is a statutory offense punishable by up to two years imprisonment with hard labor.
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Under the new law, driving without a valid license is now considered a statutory offense.
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In many jurisdictions, failing to file taxes on time is a statutory offense that can lead to serious penalties.
Synonyms
An act that breaks the law and can be punished
An act that breaks a law or rule
An action that breaks the law and can result in punishment such as jail or fines
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a crime defined and prohibited by a statute' is directly derivable from combining 'statutory' (related to laws made by a legislature) with 'offense' (a legal violation). This adjective+noun composition follows standard, cross-linguistically common legal naming patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Statutory offense comes from statutory, from the word 'statute' meaning a law written by lawmakers, and offense, meaning a crime. So a statutory offense is a crime that is written down in the law rather than one made by judges.