1.

Blackmail (n) /blkmel/

The crime of demanding money from a person by threatening to tell
somebody else a secret about them.

to bribe (v): to give somebody money or something valuable in

order to persuade them to help you, especially by doing something
dishonest
-

blackmailer (n) to blackmail (v): to force somebody to give

you money or do something for you by threatening them, for
example by saying you will tell people a secret about them

blackmail somebody: She blackmailed him for years by

threatening to tell the newspapers about their affair.
blackmail somebody into doing something: The President
said he wouldn't be blackmailed into agreeing to the terrorists'
demands.

bribe somebody (with something)

They bribed the guards with cigarettes.
bribe somebody into doing something She was bribed into
handing over secret information.
bribe somebody to do something
She bribed him to sign the certificate.
bribe your way
He managed to bribe his way onto the ship.
He must have bribed his way out of the prison.

3. Burglary (n) /brlri/ [uncountable, countable] (pl.

burglaries): The crime of entering a building illegally and
stealing things from it

2. Bribery (n) /brabri/: the giving or taking of bribes

= housebreaking (especially British English)
-

She was arrested on bribery charges.

allegations of bribery and corruption.

bribe (n) /brab/: a sum of money or something valuable that you

give or offer to somebody to persuade them to help you, especially
by doing something dishonest

The youth was charged with three counts of burglary.

A rise in the number of burglaries committed in the area.
Audio equipment was stolen in a burglary at the mall.

burglar (n) /brlr/: a person who enters a building illegally

in order to steal.

- It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office.

- She had been offered a $50000 bribe to drop the charges.
[Collocation] take/accept/pay somebody/offer (somebody) a bribe

Burglars broke into the gallery and stole dozens of priceless

paintings.

to burglarize (v) /brlraz/ (burgle BrE)

-

We were burgled while we were away (= our house was

burgled).

The house next door was burgled.

New digital techniques can spot paintings that have been

forged.

[Collocation] burglarize a house/a home/an apartment

[Collocation]: forge documents/certificates/passports
= to break in (v):to enter a building by force.
- Burglars had broken in while we were away.
break-in (n) [countable]
an act of entering a building illegally and by force, especially in
order to steal things:
- Since the break-in we've had all our locks changed.
- Police were called to three break-ins in the same area last
night..

4. Forgery (n) /frdri/ [uncountable] (1) the crime of

copying money, documents, etc. in order to cheat people.
(2) [countable] something, for example a document, piece of
paper money, etc., that has been copied in order to cheat
people
- Experts are dismissing claims that the painting is a forgery.

5. Fraud (n) /frd/: [uncountable, countable] the crime of

cheating somebody in order to get money or goods illegally.
-

to commit fraud (v)

6. hijacking (n) /hadk/ (also hijack) [countable,
uncountable]: the use of violence or threats to take control of
a vehicle, especially a plane, in order to force it to travel to a
different place or to demand something from a government.
-

[SYN] counterfeit (adj) /kantrft/ (formal) + fake (adj/n)

forger (n) /frdr/
a person who makes illegal copies of
money, documents, etc. in order to cheat people [compare
counterfeiter /kantrftr/]
to forge (v) /frd/: [transitive] forge something to make an
illegal copy of something in order to cheat people.
-

to forge a passport/banknote/cheque.
He's getting good at forging his mother's signature.

She was charged with credit card fraud.

property that has been obtained by fraud.
a $100 million fraud.

There have been a series of hijackings recently in the area.

an unsuccessful hijack.
[compare carjacking] -/krdk/
the crime of forcing the driver of a car to take you somewhere
or give you their car, using threats and violence.

hijacker (n) /hadkr/ a person who hijacks a plane or other

vehicle
to hijack (v) /hadk/
-

The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from

London to Rome.

[Collocation] hijack a plane/ship/bus

7. Kidnapping (n) /kdnp/ [uncountable, countable] (also
kidnap)
the crime of taking somebody away illegally and keeping
them as a prisoner, especially in order to get money or
something else for returning them.

He admitted the charge of kidnap.

the kidnapping of 12 US citizens.

[SYN]: abduction [uncountable, countable] child abduction

kidnapper (n) [SYN]: abductor /bdktr/
-

The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of $1 million.

to kidnap (v)
-

The terrorists were planning to kidnap one of the presidents

sons.
Two businessmen have been kidnapped by terrorists.

[SYN] to abduct: He had attempted to abduct the two children.

8. Mugging (n) /m/ [uncountable, countable]
The crime of attacking somebody violently, or threatening to
do so, in order to steal their money, especially in a public
place.
-

Mugging is on the increase.

There have been several muggings here recently.

Murders, kidnaps and muggings are reported daily in the

newspapers.

mugger (n) /mr/: a person who threatens or attacks somebody

in order to steal their money, especially in a public place
to mug (v): She had been mugged in the street in broad daylight.
[Thieves had broken into the house in broad daylight.]
9. Murder (n) /mrdr/ [uncountable, countable] the crime of
killing somebody deliberately [SYN] homicide /hmsad/
(especially North American English, law).
- He was found guilty of murder.
- She has been charged with the attempted murder of her
husband.
- to commit (a) murder
- a murder case/investigation/trial.
- The rebels were responsible for the mass murder of 400
civilians.
- What was the murder weapon?
- The jury reached a verdict of justifiable homicide. (
[uncountable](law) - in some countries, a killing which is not
a criminal act, for example because you were trying to defend
yourself)
- He has been arrested on homicide and assault charges.
murderer (n): a person who has killed somebody deliberately and
illegally
-

a convicted murderer.
a mass murderer (= who has killed a lot of people)

to murder (v): - He denies murdering his wife's lover.

The murdered woman was well known in the area.

*** to commit (v) /kmt/: [crime] [transitive] commit a crime, etc.

to do something wrong or illegal.
[Collocation] commit a crime/a murder/a violent assault/a brutal
killing/an armed robbery/fraud
- to commit murder/adultery.
- Most crimes are committed by young men.
10. Robbery (n) /rbri/ - [uncountable, countable](pl.
robberies)
the crime of stealing money or goods from a bank, shop/store,
person, etc., especially using violence or threats.
- armed robbery (= using a gun, knife, etc.)
- There has been a spate of robberies in the area recently.
- He was shot as he tried to foil a bank robbery.
- He already had a conviction for armed robbery.
[Collocation: rob a bank/a person/a tourist]
robber (n) a person who steals from a person or place, especially
using violence or threats
- a bank robber
to rob (v) /rb/ rob somebody/something (of something) to steal
money or property from a person or place.
- to rob a bank.
- The tomb had been robbed of its treasures.
- The gang had robbed and killed the drugstore owner.
11. Smuggling (n) /sml/
the crime of taking, sending or bringing goods secretly and
illegally into or out of a country
- He was arrested in connection with drug smuggling.
smuggler (n) /smlr/: a drug smuggler

to smuggle (v): /sml/ smuggle something/somebody (+

adv./prep.)
- They were caught smuggling diamonds into the country.
- He managed to smuggle a gun into the prison.
- smuggled drugs
- We do not yet know how the bomb was smuggled abroad.
- She was caught trying to smuggle 26 kilos of heroin out
of/into the country.
- [Collocation] smuggle drugs/weapons/arms/immigrants
12. Terrorism (n) /terrzm/ [uncountable]: the use of violent
action in order to achieve political aims or to force a
government to act.
- The fight against terrorism.
- The government has sworn to do everything in its power to
combat terrorism.
terrorist (n)
-

The terrorists are threatening to blow up the plane.

a terrorist attack/bomb/group.

terrorize (v) /terraz/ to frighten and threaten people so that

they will not oppose something or will do as they are told.
terrorize somebody: drug dealers terrorizing the
neighbourhood.
- terrorize somebody into doing something: People were
terrorized into leaving their homes.
To set off bombs
13. Theft (n) /eft/ [uncountable, countable] theft (of something)
the crime of stealing something from a person or place
-

** identity theft (n) using somebody elses name and personal

information in order to obtain credit cards and other goods or to take
money out of the persons bank accounts.
Victims of identity theft can find themselves saddled with
false criminal records.
thief (n) /if/ (pl. thieves /ivz/) a person who steals something
from another person or place.
- a car/jewel, etc. thief
to steal (v) (xem them nhung nghia khac)
- steal (from somebody/something): We found out he'd been
stealing from us for years.
- I'll report you to the police if I catch you stealing again.
- steal something (from somebody/something) My wallet
was stolen.
- I had my wallet stolen.
- Thieves stole jewellery worth over 10000.
- It's a crime to handle stolen goods.
- (figurative) to steal somebodys ideas
14. Vandalism (n) /vndlzm/ [uncountable] the crime of
destroying or damaging something, especially public
property, deliberately and for no good reason.
- an act of vandalism
- The troublemakers embarked on a 30000 vandalism spree.
- Police condemned the damage as an act of mindless
vandalism.
vandal (n) /vndl/: a person who deliberately destroys or
damages public property.
-

vandalize (v) /vndlaz/ [usually passive] vandalize something

to damage something, especially public property, deliberately and for
no good reason.
-

The pay phone had been vandalized and wasnt working.

15. Manslaughter (n) /mnsltr/ [uncountable] (law) the

crime of killing somebody illegally but not deliberately (=
unintentionally)
- The charge has been reduced to manslaughter.
16. Assassination (n) /ssnen/ [uncountable, countable] the
murder of an important or famous person, especially for
political reasons.
- The president survived a number of assassination attempts.
- the assassination of John F. Kennedy
assassin (n) /ssn/ a person who murders somebody important
or famous, for money or for political reasons.
-

a hired/professional assassin.
He was killed by a hired assassin.
They hired a professional assassin to do the job for them.

assassinate (v): /ssnet/ [often passive] assassinate

somebody.
-

The prime minister was assassinated by extremists.

a plot to assassinate the president

17. acquit (v) /kwt/ acquit somebody (of something) to decide

and state officially in court that somebody is not guilty of a
crime.
- The jury acquitted him of murder.
- Both defendants were acquitted.
- She was acquitted on all charges.
- He was acquitted on the grounds of insufficient evidence.

[OPP] convict /knvkt/ (v) [often passive] convict somebody (of

something) to decide and state officially in court that somebody is
guilty of a crime.
-

a convicted murderer,
He was convicted of fraud.
There wasnt enough evidence to convict her.

acquittal (n) /kwtl/ [countable, uncountable] an official

decision in court that a person is not guilty of a crime.
-

The case resulted in an acquittal.

The jury voted for acquittal.

[OPP] conviction /knvkn/ [countable, uncountable] conviction

(for something)
-

She has six previous convictions for theft.

He plans to appeal against his conviction.

18. Verdict (v) /vrdkt/ a decision that is made by a jury in

court, stating if somebody is considered guilty of a crime or
not.
- Has the jury reached a verdict?
- The jury returned a verdict (= gave a verdict) of guilty
19. jury /dri/ (also panel, jury panel especially in North
American English) a group of members of the public who
listen to the facts of a case in a court and decide whether or
not somebody is guilty of a crime.
-

members of the jury

to be/sit/serve on a jury

The jury has/have returned a verdict of guilty.

20. Investigate (v) /nvestet/ [intransitive, transitive] to

carefully examine the facts of a situation, an event, a crime,
etc. to find out the truth about it or how it happened.
- The FBI has been called in to investigate.
- (informal) What was that noise? I'll go and investigate.
- ] investigate something] Police are investigating possible
links between the murders.
- [investigate what, how, etc] Police are investigating what
happened.
21. Question (v) question somebody (about/on something) +
speech to ask somebody questions about something,
especially officially.
- She was arrested and questioned about the fire.
- The students were questioned on the books they had been
studying.