Criminal Elements Vocabulary

A comprehensive list of vocabulary terms related to criminal elements, with definitions provided for each term to aid understanding.

Setting

The environment or surrounding in which a story takes place.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Suspense

A feeling of excitement or anxious uncertainty about what may happen next.

Foreshadow

To indicate or suggest in advance what is to come later in the story.

Alibi

A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act, typically a crime, took place.

Clue

A piece of evidence or information used in the solving of a crime or puzzle.

Crime

An act committed in violation of a law that prohibits it.

Criminal

A person who has committed a crime.

Detective

A police officer whose job is to investigate and solve criminal cases.

Defendant

An individual accused in a court of law.

Plaintiff

A person who brings a case against another in a court of law.

Attorney

A person appointed to act for another in legal matters.

Evidence

Information or objects that are presented in a court to prove or disprove a fact in question.

Hunch

A feeling or intuition based on instincts rather than facts.

Interrogate

To ask questions of someone, often aggressively or formally, to elicit information.

Means

The method or way through which something is achieved.

Motive

The reason for doing something, especially in the context of a crime.

Mystery

Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.

Perpetrator

A person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act.

Red Herring

A misleading or distractive clue that diverts attention away from the real issue.

Sleuth

A detective or investigator of crimes; someone who investigates.

Suspect

A person thought to be guilty of a crime.

Victim

A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime.

Witness

A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, and can provide testimony about it.

Forensics

The application of scientific methods and techniques to investigate crimes.

Psychological

Relating to the mental or emotional state of a person.

Homicide

The deliberate and unlawful killing of one person by another.

Latent (prints)

Fingerprints that are not visible but can be made visible using techniques and are crucial in forensic science.

Observant

Quick to notice or perceive things; attentive.

Opportunity

The chance or situation that allows for a crime to be committed.