In ordinary language, the term
crime denotes an unlawful act punishable by a
state. 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
offence (or
criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to some individual or individuals but also to a community, society or the state ("a public
wrong"). Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law.
