IELTS Crime Vocabulary

On this page you will find IELTS crime vocabulary . These crime words will help you write about the topic or talk about it in the test.

You will find:

• The word
• The definition
• An example sentence

There's also a Podcast where the words are discussed and at the bottom of the page you will find links to essays connected to crime topics so you can see some of the IELTS crime vocabulary in context. 

List of IELTS Crime Vocabulary

Legislation

A law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament.

• There needs to be changes to crime-related legislation.

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Deter

To make someone less enthusiastic about doing something by threatening bad results if they do it.

• Tougher prison sentences may be a deterrent to other would-be offenders.

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Offender

Someone who is guilty of a crime.

• Prison should not be used for first-time offenders.

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Punish

To cause someone who has done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer, by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, sending them to prison, etc.

• Those responsible for serious crimes must be punished.

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Prevention

When you stop something from happening or stop someone from doing something.

• The government should focus on the prevention of crime rather than introducing harsher prison sentences.

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Commit

To do something illegal or something that is considered wrong.

• People who commit serious crimes should be given long prison sentences.

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Criminal

A person who commits a crime.

• Criminals who commit violent crimes should not be given community service.

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Probation

A period of time when a criminal must behave well and not commit any more crimes in order to avoid being sent to prison.

An offender may be put on probation for a period when they come out of prison or it can refer to the monitoring of an offender who did not actually get imprisoned (e.g. is on community service).

• Many offenders commit another crimes while on probation and get sent back to prison. 

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Rehabilitate

To return someone or something to a good or healthy condition, state, or way of living.

• It is important to rehabilitate criminals while they are in prison; otherwise, they may re-offend (commit a crime again) when they are released from prison.

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Guilt

Having done something wrong or committed a crime.

• If jurors (the members of a jury) find a defendant guilty, then that person must be punished.

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Jury

A group of people chosen to decide in a court of law if someone is guilty of a crime or not.

• To ensure fairness in a criminal trial, there must be a jury.

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Convict

To decide officially in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime.

• He has been convicted of arson (starting a fire intentionally to damage something) two times now.

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Fine

Being made to pay money for breaking the law.

• Motorists should be given a fine if they are caught speeding.

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Imprisonment

Being put in prison.

• Murderers are usually given life imprisonment.

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Community Service

Work that people do to help other people without payment, and which young criminals whose crime was not serious enough for them to be put in prison are sometimes ordered to do.

• Community service is a good alternative to prison for minor offences.

Justice

Fairness in the way people are dealt with.

• Those who commit assaults must be imprisoned because the victims want justice.

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Victim

Someone who has suffered because of the actions of someone else.

• The victims of crime often need help and support to recover from their bad experience.

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