Understanding and expressing vocabulary related to crimes and penalties is crucial for discussions about legal matters and justice systems.
Let’s explore key terms associated with different offenses and the consequences for those offenses.
Crimes and penalties vocabulary:
- Crime: An act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment.
- Felony: A serious crime typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.
- Misdemeanor: A less serious offense, usually punishable by a fine or imprisonment for less than one year.
- Penalty: The punishment imposed for breaking a law, rule, or contract.
- Imprisonment: The state of being confined in prison; incarceration.
- Probation: A period of supervision over an offender, often instead of imprisonment.
- Parole: The release of a prisoner before the completion of their sentence, on the condition of good behavior.
- Capital Punishment: The legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime; the death penalty.
- Life Sentence: A sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a person’s life.
- Fine: A sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense.
- Restitution: The restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner or the payment for such loss.
- Community Service: Unpaid work performed by an offender for the benefit of the community instead of serving a jail or prison sentence.
- Detention: The action of detaining someone, especially in official custody.
- Plea Bargain: An agreement in which a defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence.
- Acquittal: A judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which they have been charged.
- Arrest: The action of seizing someone and taking them into custody, typically in response to a crime.
- Criminal Record: A document listing a person’s criminal history, including arrests, convictions, and other relevant information.
- Witness: A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place.
- Indictment: A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime.
- Guilty Plea: A defendant’s admission of guilt in response to criminal charges.
By familiarizing yourself with these terms, you’ll be better equipped to discuss legal matters, understand court proceedings, and navigate conversations about crimes and penalties. Practice using these words in sentences to reinforce your language skills. Stay tuned for more vocabulary lessons on our language-learning journey!
