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Advanced Vocabulary for TOEFL - Crime and Punishment

Here you will learn some English words about crime and punishment, such as "bribe", "abuse", "slander", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.

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Advanced Words Needed for TOEFL
to assault

to violently attack someone

Ex: The assailant attempted to assault the victim in a dark alley. 
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to bribe
to bribe
[Verb]

to persuade someone to do something, often illegal, by giving them an amount of money or something of value

Ex: Businesses were fined for attempting to bribe government officials for favorable contracts. 
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to vandalize

to intentionally damage something, particularly public property

Ex: The park was closed temporarily for repairs after vandals had vandalized the playground equipment. 
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to launder

to make some alterations in order to make something that has been obtained illegally, especially money and currency appear legal or acceptable

Ex: They used various offshore accounts to launder the stolen funds. 
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to appropriate

to take something for one's own use, especially illegally or without the owner's permission

Ex: The employee was fired for appropriating company funds for personal expenses. 
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contraband

goods or items whose importation, exportation, or possession is prohibited by law

Ex: The customs officers seized a shipment of contraband at the border. 
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to smuggle

to move goods or people illegally and secretly into or out of a country

Ex: Border patrol intercepted a group trying to smuggle undocumented migrants into the country. 
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to abuse
to abuse
[Verb]

to cruelly or violently treat a person or an animal, especially regularly or repeatedly

Ex: Domestic violence is a serious issue where one partner may abuse the other, causing both physical and emotional harm. 
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to blackmail

to gain money, property, or some advantage by threatening someone

Ex: She tried to blackmail him for a large sum of money. 
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to abduct
to abduct
[Verb]

to illegally take someone away, especially by force or deception

Ex: The criminal attempted to abduct the child from the school playground. 
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to swindle

to use deceit in order to deprive someone of their money or other possessions

Ex: The con artist swindled unsuspecting investors out of millions of dollars by promising high returns on fake investments. 
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to collude

‌to cooperate secretly or illegally for deceiving other people

Ex: The two companies were found to have colluded to inflate prices and eliminate competition in the market. 
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to conspire

to make secret plans with other people to commit an illegal or destructive act

Ex: The group of individuals conspired to carry out a heist on the bank. 
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to slander

to make false and adverse statements about someone for defamation

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embezzlement

the act of stealing funds that are placed in one's trust and belong to one's employer

Ex: The accountant was found guilty of embezzlement after diverting company funds into personal accounts for several years. 
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to trespass

to enter someone's land or building without permission

Ex: Despite the warning signs, he chose to trespass onto the private property, ignoring the owner's rights. 
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carjacking

the act of violently stealing a car while someone is inside it

Ex: The city has seen an increase in carjackings over the past year. 
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delinquency

a minor crime or misdeed, especially of a young person

Ex: Juvenile delinquency refers to illegal or antisocial behavior by minors, often leading to intervention by the juvenile justice system. 
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felon
felon
[noun]

someone who has committed or has been legally found guilty of a serious crime

Ex: Amanda's conviction for arson resulted in her being labeled a felon and serving a lengthy prison sentence. 
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accomplice

someone who helps another to commit a crime or do a wrongdoing

Ex: The gang members were all charged as accomplices in the drug trafficking operation. 
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misdemeanor

an action that is considered wrong or unacceptable yet not very serious

Ex: She was charged with a misdemeanor for trespassing on private property. 
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felony
felony
[noun]

a serious crime such as arson, murder, rape, etc.

Ex: Tax evasion is a felony offense that can lead to substantial fines and imprisonment if convicted. 
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homicide
homicide
[noun]

the act of one person killing another, whether lawfully or unlawfully

Ex: The police investigated the homicide that occurred downtown. 
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genocide
genocide
[noun]

a mass murder committed in order to destroy a particular nation, religious or ethnic group, or race

Ex: The United Nations defines genocide as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. 
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heist
heist
[noun]

‌an act of violently stealing something valuable, especially from a shop or bank

Ex: The gang planned a bank heist. 
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larceny
larceny
[noun]

the act of stealing something from someone, especially without breaking into a building

Ex: He was charged with larceny after taking the car. 
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perjury
perjury
[noun]

the offense of telling lies in a court of law after you have vowed to tell the truth

Ex: He was charged with perjury during the trial. 
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serial killer

someone who commits a series of murders in a similar pattern

Ex: The police investigated a notorious serial killer. 
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confinement

the action of keeping someone in a closed space, prison, etc., usually by force

Ex: He was sentenced to a year of confinement. 
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incrimination

the act of suggesting that someone is guilty, particularly of a crime

Ex: The evidence led to his incrimination. 
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to apprehend

to arrest someone

Ex: The security guards were quick to apprehend the trespasser before he could escape. 
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to extradite

to send someone accused of a crime to the place where the crime happened or where they are wanted for legal matters

Ex: The fugitive was arrested in one country and extradited to face charges in another for embezzlement. 
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to detain
to detain
[Verb]

to officially hold someone in a place, such as a jail, and not let them go

Ex: The immigration officers have the authority to detain individuals entering the country illegally. 
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incarceration

the act of putting or keeping someone in captivity

Ex: Many activists are pushing for alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. 
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to exile
to exile
[Verb]

to force someone to live away from their native country, usually due to political reasons or as a punishment

Ex: The political dissident was exiled from the country for speaking out against the government. 
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disciplinary
disciplinary
[Adjective]

relating to the enforcement of rules or the correction of behavior

Ex: The school implemented disciplinary measures to address student misconduct. 
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to confiscate

to officially take away something from someone, usually as punishment

Ex: The customs officer may confiscate prohibited items at the border. 
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to execute

to kill someone, especially as a legal penalty

Ex: The condemned criminal was executed by lethal injection after exhausting all appeals. 
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to forfeit

to no longer be able to access a right, property, privilege, etc. as a result of violating a law or a punishment for doing something wrong

Ex: Individuals who commit fraud may forfeit their assets as part of legal penalties. 
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