Crime

In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term “crime” does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law.  One proposed definition is that a crime or offense (or criminal offense) is an act harmful not only to some individual but also to a community, society, or the state (“a public wrong”). Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law.