criminal possession
5
8.2
- noun
- /ˈkrɪmɪnəl pəˈzɛʃən/
- Formal
:
posesión criminal
- After a search of his home, he was charged with criminal possession of stolen goods.
- criminal possession of a weapon
- criminal possession of a firearm
- criminal possession of stolen property
I would charge them with criminal possession of a weapon.
- I would charge them with criminal possession of a weapon.
Examples
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Jason, you've been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
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Criminal trespassing, reckless endangerment... criminal possession of a handgun... assault with a deadly weapon...
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So far she's charged with criminal possession of stolen property.
Blog text (4) -
The police told Brafman his client could expect to be charged with at minimum, criminal possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Blog text (2) -
Andy was additionally charged with first-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a Class B felony carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in state prison.
Blog text (8) -
He has served time on Rikers Island for criminal trespass, criminal possession of stolen property, and possession of burglary tools.
Fiction book (1996) -
Jonas Maldonado, Lucas Ryan, A.D. Valburn, you're charged with criminal possession of narcotics.
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As a judge in 2010, Czajka had presided over the initial arraignment and other preliminary proceedings involving Nicholas Fox, who had been charged with fourth-degree criminal possession.
Blog text (17) -
"Thanks," I replied, debating whether to simply pat myself on the back or open a bottle from the case of Dom Perignon I'd received as a bonus after getting a mob guy off on a charge of criminal possession of a machine gun with intent to use the same unlawfully against the person of another.
Fiction book (1996) -
The police arrested him for criminal possession of an illegal firearm.
Synonyms
4
5.3
Having banned things like drugs or guns when the law does not allow it
How Illegal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'criminal' (relating to crime) modifies 'possession' (the state of having something), so the meaning is possession that is illegal or subject to criminal sanction. This adjective+noun pattern is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Criminal possession comes from two simple words: possession meaning 'to have or control something' and criminal meaning 'illegal'. Imagine someone holding a stolen phone — they are in possession of it, and because the item is 'illegal' to have, that situation is called 'criminal possession', which is why the phrase means being charged for having illegal property.