Crime and Justice: Lesson 13

Vocabulary Lesson 13

Crime and Justice

By Gayle Tidona

​Crime and Justice

The words in this lesson deal with criminal acts and the prosecution of criminals. Some words, like swindle and counterfeit, refer to actual criminal offenses. Other words, like jurisdiction, incarcerate, and acquit, are terms that might be mentioned in a trial. These words are common in the news as well as in fiction.

Subject | Subject

Where might you find these words used?

Multiple Choice

We wondered whether the jury would convict the man or acquit him.

• punish

• clear

• celebrate

• trick

Multiple Choice

We wondered whether the jury would convict the man or acquit him.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

After her acquittal, the woman was free to leave.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

verb

• to declare not guilty

​

noun - acquittal​

​

​acquit

Multiple Choice

Detectives searched the burned building for signs of arson.

• stealing money

• faking money

• fire setting

• cheating

Multiple Choice

Detectives searched the burned building for signs of arson.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The arsonist was sentenced to several years in prison.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

noun

• the crime of deliberately setting fire to something

noun - arsonist

• a person who deliberately sets fires​

​arson

Multiple Choice

The mayor was accused of corruption after he accepted gifts in return for changing the zoning laws.

• dishonesty

• government

• imprisonment

• authority

Multiple Choice

The mayor was accused of corruption after he accepted gifts in return for changing the zoning laws.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

It is said that power corrupts.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The corrupt jury member changed his vote after the defendant's relatives promised him a high-paying job.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

We hope that police officers are not corruptible.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

noun

• dishonesty or improper behavior in a person of authority

verb - corrupt

adjective

• corrupt

• corruptible

​

​corruption

​

Multiple Choice

It is a crime to counterfeit money.

• cheat on taxes

• lie to a judge

• start a fire

• make fakes

Multiple Choice

It is a crime to counterfeit money.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

A counterfeit Picasso painting was removed from the museum display.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

That hundred-dollar bill is a counterfeit.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The counterfeiter was arrested.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

verb

• to make a fake or misleading copy of

adjective

• made in false imitation

noun​

• something made in false imitation

​noun - counterfeiter

• a criminal who makes fakes​

​

​Although it can apply to other things, the word counterfeit usually applies to phony money.

​counterfeit

Multiple Choice

Someone was the culprit who broke the window.

• guilty one

• bystander

• witness

• victim

Multiple Choice

Someone was the culprit who broke the window.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

noun

• a guilty person

​

​culprit

​

Multiple Choice

Armed robbery is a felony.

• minor offense

• telling a lie

• serious crime

• withholding evidence

Multiple Choice

Armed robbery is a felony.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The convicted felon served tn years in prison.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The trial proved that the man had felonious intent.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

noun

• a serious crime

​

noun - felon (person)

​

adjective - felonious​

​Less serious crimes are called misdemeanors.

​felony

Multiple Choice

The violent criminal was incarcerated in a maximum-security prison.

• admonished

• freed

• imprisoned

• insulted

Multiple Choice

The violent criminal was incarcerated in a maximum-security prison.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

After her incarceration ended, the woman became a model citizen.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

​verb

• to put in prison

​

noun - incarceration​

​incarcerate

Multiple Choice

The testimony of three witnesses incriminated the man on trial.

• astonished

• examined in detail

• imprisoned

• showed guilt of

Multiple Choice

The testimony of three witnesses incriminated the man on trial.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects citizens against self-incrimination.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

verb

• to cause to appear guilty; to give evidence of guilt

​

​noun - incrimination

​incriminate

​

Multiple Choice

Federal courts have jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases.

• authority

• protection

• taxation

• threats

Multiple Choice

Federal courts have jurisdiction in bankruptcy cases.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

noun

• the extent or range of authority; control​

What vocabulary word from a previous lesson has a similar meaning like jurisdiction?

​jurisdiction

​

Multiple Choice

The salesman swindled people by convincing them to invest in a phony retirement fund.

• bought

• valued

• cheated

• helped

Multiple Choice

The salesman swindled people by convincing them to invest in a phony retirement fund.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

We knew we were victims of a swindle when we saw that our vacation property was in the middle of a swamp.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

Multiple Choice

The police pursued the swindler who had fled town.

• noun

• verb

• adjective

• adverb

verb

• to cheat someone out of money or property

​

noun - swindle, swindler​

​swindle

​