law-breaking
/'lɔ:,breikiɳ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of violating a law or laws: "Law-breaking" refers to the action or behavior of committing an illegal act, an offense against the law.
- An instance of criminal activity: It can also denote a specific act that constitutes a crime.
Usage
- "Law-breaking" is a formal, compound noun used to describe illegal activity in a general or specific sense. It is often used in sociological, legal, or journalistic contexts to discuss crime and deviance.
- Example:
- Example:
Examples
- Noun:
- The study focused on the social causes of law-breaking among youth.
- Any form of law-breaking will be dealt with severely by the authorities.
Advanced Usage
- "to engage in law-breaking": to participate in illegal activities.
- The gang was known to engage in organized law-breaking.
- "a pattern of law-breaking": repeated or habitual criminal behavior.
- The prosecutor presented evidence of a long pattern of law-breaking.
Variants and Related Words
- Lawbreaker (n): a person who breaks the law; a criminal.
- The lawbreaker was sentenced to community service.
- Break the law (verb phrase): to commit an illegal act.
- If you break the law, you must face the consequences.
Synonyms
- Crime: An action or omission that constitutes an offense and is punishable by law.
- Offense: A breach of a law or rule; an illegal act.
- Illegality: The state of being contrary to or forbidden by law.
Antonyms
- Law-abiding: Obedient to the laws.
- Legality: The quality or state of being in accordance with the law.
Related Phrases
- Petty law-breaking: Minor crimes or violations.
- The court handles many cases of petty law-breaking, such as vandalism.
- Serious law-breaking: Major crimes like robbery or assault.
- The department prioritizes investigating serious law-breaking.
Noun
- (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
- a long record of crimes