Academic IELTS Words for "Crime"

conspiracy

noun

c

k

o

ə

n

s

p

i

ɪ

r

a

ə

c

s

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i

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a plan which is a secret and made by a group of people to do something illegal or to kill someone

Example

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The police uncovered a conspiracy to smuggle drugs into the country.

The conspiracy to overthrow the government was thwarted by security forces.

hostage

noun

h

o

ɑ

s

t

a

ɪ

g

ʤ

e

someone held prisoner by a person or group who will be set free if the demands of that person or group are met

money laundering

noun

/mˈʌni lˈɔːndɚɹɪŋ/

Disapproving

Formal

Idiom

the process of concealing the origins, ownership, or destination of illegally obtained money by passing it through a legitimate financial institution or businesses

What is the origin of the idiom "money laundering" and when to use it?

The idiom "money laundering" originated in the United States during the 1920s when criminals wanted to hide the money they earned from selling illegal alcohol. They called it "money laundering" because they tried to make the money look clean, just like washing dirty clothes. Since then, the term has been used to describe hiding the source of illegal money by making it seem like it came from legal activities.

Grammatical Information:

compound noun

cybercrime

noun

c

s

y

aɪ

b

e

ə

r

c

k

r

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aɪ

m

e

criminal activities carried out through the use of computers or the internet, often involving unauthorized access to computer systems, theft of personal or financial information, fraud, identity theft, or the spread of malicious software

burglary

noun

b

u

ɜ:

r

g

l

a

ə

r

y

i

the crime of entering a building to commit illegal activities such as stealing, damaging property, etc.

piracy

noun

p

i

aɪ

r

a

ə

c

s

y

i

unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or use of copyrighted materials, such as software, music, movies, or books

scam

noun

s

c

k

a

æ

m

a dishonest or illegal way of gaining money

mugger

noun

m

u

ə

gg

g

e

ɜ

r

a person who attacks and robs people in a public place

arson

noun

a

ɑ

r

s

o

ə

n

the criminal act of setting something on fire, particularly a building

smuggling

noun

s

m

u

ə

gg

g

ə

l

i

ɪ

n

g

the act of importing or exporting goods or people secretly and against the law

manslaughter

noun

m

a

æ

n

s

l

au

ɔ

gh

t

e

ɜ

r

unlawful killing of a person without premeditation or intent

ransom

noun

r

a

æ

n

s

o

ə

m

an amount of money demanded or paid for the release of a person who is in captivity

pickpocket

noun

p

i

ɪ

ck

k

p

o

ɑ

ck

k

e

ə

t

a criminal who steals money or other goods from people's pockets or bags

to smuggle

Verb

s

m

u

ə

gg

g

ə

l

e

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

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to embezzle

Verb

e

ɪ

m

b

e

ɛ

zz

z

ə

l

e

to secretly steal money entrusted to one's care, typically by manipulating financial records, for personal use or gain

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to mug

Verb

m

u

ə

g

to steal from someone by threatening them or using violence, particularly in a public place

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to abduct

Verb

a

æ

b

d

u

ə

c

k

t

to illegally take someone away, especially by force or deception

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to launder

Verb

l

au

ɔ

n

d

e

ɜ

r

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

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to conspire

Verb

c

k

o

ə

n

s

p

i

aɪɜ

r

e

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

Grammatical Information:

transitive

wiretap

noun

w

i

aɪɜ

r

e

t

a

æ

p

a method of secretly listening to or recording telephone conversations

to shoplift

Verb

sh

ʃ

o

ɑ

p

l

i

ɪ

f

t

to steal goods from a store by secretly taking them without paying

Grammatical Information:

intransitive

to assassinate

Verb

a

ə

ss

s

a

æ

ss

s

i

ə

n

a

eɪ

t

e

to murder a prominent figure in a sudden attack, usually for political purposes

Grammatical Information:

transitive

to impersonate

Verb

i

ɪ

m

p

e

ɜ

r

s

o

ə

n

a

eɪ

t

e

to act or pretend to be someone else, typically for the purpose of entertainment or mimicry

Grammatical Information:

transitive

hustle

noun

h

u

ə

s

ə

t

l

e

a fraudulent or deceptive scheme or activity designed to obtain money or other benefits through dishonest or illegal means

to burglarize

Verb

b

u

ɜ

r

g

l

a

ɜ

r

i

aɪ

z

e

to illegally enter a building or area with the intent to commit theft or other crimes

Grammatical Information:

transitive

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You learned 25 words from Talking about Crime. To improve learning and review vocabulary, start practicing.

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