Phrase guide

high crime

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhaɪ ˈkɹaɪm/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A major crime or wrongdoing, notably one subject to trial before the highest courts which may impose the gravest punishments.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: law

Examples

  • Lese majesty used to be a high crime, for which royal or imperial courts often put offenders to death.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: misdemeanour, petty crime

History

Etymology

From high (“of great importance and consequence; grave”) + crime.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: haut crime — major crime
  • Icelandic: embættisbrot — major crime
  • Portuguese: crime de responsabilidade — major crime
  • Serbo-Croatian: teško kazneno djelo — major crime
  • Serbo-Croatian: teško kazneno delo — major crime