Law And Crime Flashcards
Prosecutor
a person, especially a public official, who institutes legal proceedings against someone.
“prosecutors are fully entitled to bring any number of offenses against a single defendant”
Constituency
a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.
“the politician who wishes to remain in the good graces of his constituency”
Ally
a state formally cooperating with another for a military or other purpose.
“debate continued among NATO allies”
Determine
cause (something) to occur in a particular way; be the decisive factor in.
“it will be her mental attitude that determines her future”
synonyms: deciding, decisive, conclusive, final, settling, definitive, key, pivotal, crucial
ascertain or establish exactly, typically as a result of research or calculation.
“the point of our study was to determine what is true, not what is practicable”
synonyms: figure out, get a fix on
Slammer
prison.
“if he had lived, he’d be in the slammer today”
Wits
mental sharpness and inventiveness; keen intelligence.
“he does not lack perception or native wit”
synonyms: nous, gumption, horse sense, common, savvy, smarts
Wedge
a piece of wood, metal, or some other material having one thick end and tapering to a thin edge, that is driven between two objects or parts of an object to secure or separate them.
synonyms: tapered block, chock, door stop
Virtue
behavior showing high moral standards.
“paragons of virtue”
synonyms: goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, ethicalness, uprightness, upstandingness, integrity, dignity
Ventured
dare to do something or go somewhere that may be dangerous or unpleasant.
“she ventured out into the blizzard”
synonyms: travel, journey, go, move, proceed, progress, set out, set forth, rove
Vacant
(of premises) having no fixtures, furniture, or inhabitants; empty.
synonyms: up for grabs
Trim
make (something) neat or of the required size or form by cutting away irregular or unwanted parts.
“trim the grass using a sharp mower”
synonyms: cut, barber, crop, bob, shorten, clip, snip, shear, prune
Tribute
an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.
“the video is a tribute to the musicals of the 40s”
synonyms: praise, sing the praises of, speak highly of, express admiration of, commend, acclaim, take one’s hat off to, applaud, salute
Tether
tie (an animal) with a rope or chain so as to restrict its movement.
“the horse had been tethered to a post”
synonyms: tie, tie up, hitch, rope, chain, fasten, secure, bind, fetter
Scum
a layer of dirt or froth on the surface of a liquid.
“green scum found on stagnant pools”
Scraphead
a pile of discarded materials or articles.
“cars on a scrapheap”
Sake
for the purpose of; in the interest of; in order to achieve or preserve.
“the couple moved to the coast for the sake of her health”
synonyms: cause, purpose, reason, aim, end, objective, object, goal, motive
Stride
walk with long, decisive steps in a specified direction.
“he strode across the road”
synonyms: march, stalk, pace, tread, step, walk
Shred
a strip of some material, such as paper, cloth, or food, that has been torn, cut, or scraped from something larger.
“her beautiful dress was torn to shreds”
synonyms: tatter, scrap, strip, ribbon, rag, snippet, snip, remnant, fragment
Rot
(chiefly of animal or vegetable matter) decay or cause to decay by the action of bacteria and fungi; decompose.
“the chalets were neglected and their woodwork was rotting away”
synonyms: go bad, go off, spoil, go sour, molder, go moldy, taint, putrefy, fester
Plank
a long, thin, flat piece of timber, used especially in building and flooring.
synonyms: board, floorboard, beam, timber, stave, deal
Retrospect
a survey or review of a past course of events or period of time.
“a full retrospect of the battle”
Parcel
a thing or collection of things wrapped in paper in order to be carried or sent by mail.
“a brown paper parcel”
synonyms: fardel
Pedestal
the base or support on which a statue, obelisk, or column is mounted.
“a bronze bust on a marble pedestal”
synonyms: plinth, base, support, bottom, bed, foot, substructure, mounting, platform
Peg
a short cylindrical piece of wood, metal, or plastic, typically tapered at one end, that is used for holding things together, hanging things on, or marking a position.
synonyms: knag, spile
Pinch
grip (something, typically someone’s flesh) tightly and sharply between finger and thumb.
“she pinched his cheek”
synonyms: nip, tweak, squeeze, compress, grasp
Mend
repair (something that is broken or damaged).
“workmen were mending faulty cabling”
synonyms: clout, tinker, beet
Proportion
a part, share, or number considered in comparative relation to a whole.
“the proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is rising”
synonyms: part, portion, amount, quantity, bit, piece, percentage, section, segment
Pretence
an attempt to make something that is not the case appear true.
“his anger is masked by a pretense that all is well”
synonyms: pretext, false excuse, guise, sham, ruse, wile, trickery, lie, falsehood
Plunge
jump or dive quickly and energetically.
“our daughters whooped as they plunged into the sea”
synonyms: jump, dive, hurl oneself, throw oneself, fling oneself, launch oneself, catapult oneself, cast oneself, pitch oneself
Havoc
widespread destruction.
“the hurricane ripped through Florida causing havoc”
synonyms: devastation, destruction, damage, desolation, depredation, despoliation, ruination, ruin, disaster
Hatter
a person who makes and sells hats.
Instinct
an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli.
“birds have an instinct to build nests”
Keel
the longitudinal structure along the centerline at the bottom of a vessel’s hull, on which the rest of the hull is built, in some vessels extended downward as a blade or ridge to increase stability.
synonyms: base, bottom, bottom side, underside
Knot
a fastening made by tying a piece of string, rope, or something similar.
“tie a knot at the end of the cord”
synonyms: tie, twist, loop, bow, splice, splicing, join, link, fastening
Hitch
move (something) into a different position with a jerk.
“she hitched the blanket around him”
synonyms: pull, jerk, hike, lift, raise
Doldrums
a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression.
“the mortgage market has been in the doldrums for three years”
synonyms: inactive, quiet, slow, slack, sluggish, subdued, stagnant, static, inert
Discretion
the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information.
“she knew she could rely on his discretion”
synonyms: circumspection, care, carefulness, caution, wariness, chariness, guardedness, tact, tactfulness
Foreseeable
able to be foreseen or predicted.
“the situation is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future”
Contention
heated disagreement.
“the captured territory was one of the main areas of contention between the two countries”
synonyms: disagreement, dispute, disputation, argument, variance, discord, hostility, conflict, friction
Conscience
an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one’s behavior.
“he had a guilty conscience about his desires”
synonyms: sense of right and wrong, sense of right, moral sense, still small voice, inner voice, voice within, morals, standards, values
Cinder
a small piece of partly burned coal or wood that has stopped giving off flames but still has combustible matter in it.
synonyms: ashes, ash, embers, clinker, charcoal, slag
Brunt
the worst part or chief impact of a specified thing.
“education will bear the brunt of the cuts”
synonyms: full force, force, impact, shock, burden, pressure, strain, stress, impetus
Abode
a place of residence; a house or home.
“my humble abode”
synonyms: without a roof over one’s head, on the streets, vagrant, living rough, destitute, down and out, derelict, itinerant, sleeping rough
Accordance
conformity or agreement.
“there is good accordance between the values”
synonyms: in agreement with, in conformity with, in line with, commensurate with, in compliance with, true to, in fulfillment of, in obedience to, in the spirit of
Advocate
a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy.
“he was an untiring advocate of economic reform”
synonyms: champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, protector, patron
Arrears
money that is owed and should have been paid earlier.
“he was suing the lessee for the arrears of rent”
synonyms: money owing, outstanding payment(s), debt(s), liabilities, indebtedness, dues, balance, deficit
Astray
away from the correct path or direction.
“we went astray but a man redirected us”
synonyms: off target, wide of the mark, wide, awry, off course, off track, off the right track, adrift
Vain
having or showing an excessively high opinion of one’s appearance, abilities, or worth.
“their flattery made him vain”
synonyms: peacockish
Vicious
deliberately cruel or violent.
“a vicious assault”
synonyms: malicious, malevolent, malignant, malign, spiteful, vindictive, venomous, poisonous, baleful
Spur
a device with a small spike or a spiked wheel that is worn on a rider’s heel and used for urging a horse forward.
Pluck
take hold of (something) and quickly remove it from its place.
“she plucked a blade of grass”
synonyms: remove, pick off, pick, pull, pull off/out, extract, take, take off
Impulse
a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act.
“I had an almost irresistible impulse to giggle”
synonyms: urge, instinct, drive, compulsion, need, itch, whim, caprice, desire
Bog
wet muddy ground too soft to support a heavy body.
“a peat bog”
synonyms: marsh, marshland, swamp, swampland, sump, mire, quagmire, quag, morass
Infringe
actively break the terms of (a law, agreement, etc.).
“making an unauthorized copy would infringe copyright”
synonyms: cock a snook at
Searing
extremely hot or intense.
“the searing heat of the sun”
synonyms: exquisite
Emission
the production and discharge of something, especially gas or radiation.
“the effects of lead emission on health”
synonyms: discharge, release, outpouring, outflow, outrush, leak, excretion, secretion, ejection
Offshore
situated at sea some distance from the shore.
“this huge stretch of coastline is dominated by offshore barrier islands”
Fraud
wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
“he was convicted of fraud”
synonyms: deception, trick, cheat, hoax, subterfuge, stratagem, wile, ruse, artifice
Falsified
alter (information or evidence) so as to mislead.
“a laboratory which was alleged to have falsified test results”
synonyms: forge, fake, counterfeit, fabricate, invent, alter, change, doctor, tamper with
Rampant
(especially of something unwelcome or unpleasant) flourishing or spreading unchecked.
“political violence was rampant”
synonyms: uncontrolled, unrestrained, unchecked, unbridled, widespread, pandemic, epidemic, pervasive, out of control
Steered
(of a person) guide or control the movement of (a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft), for example by turning a wheel or operating a rudder.
“he steered the boat slowly toward the busy quay”
synonyms: guide, direct, maneuver, navigate, pilot, drive, be in the driver’s seat of, be at the wheel of, con
Exclusion
the process or state of excluding or being excluded.
“drug users are subject to exclusion from the military”
synonyms: expulsion, removal, ejection, throwing out, suspension
Plea
a request made in an urgent and emotional manner.
“he made a dramatic plea for disarmament”
synonyms: imploration, adjuration
Riot
a violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd.
“riots broke out in the capital”
synonyms: wilding
Draconian
(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe.
“the Nazis destroyed the independence of the press by a series of draconian laws”
synonyms: harsh, severe, strict, extreme, drastic, stringent, tough, swingeing, cruel
Sanitary
relating to the conditions that affect hygiene and health, especially the supply of sewage facilities and clean drinking water.
“a sanitary engineer”
Inciting
encourage or stir up (violent or unlawful behavior).
“the offense of inciting racial hatred”
synonyms: put up to, root on
Custodial
relating to or requiring imprisonment.
“a light custodial sentence”
Soaring
flying or rising high in the air.
“the colored trails of soaring rockets”
Extenuating
(of a factor or situation) serving to lessen the seriousness of an offense.
“library staff will waive fines where there are genuine extenuating circumstances”
Adjourned
break off (a meeting, legal case, or game) with the intention of resuming it later. "the meeting was adjourned until December 4"
Verdict
a decision on a disputed issue in a civil or criminal case or an inquest.
“the jury returned a verdict of ‘not guilty.’”
synonyms: judgment, adjudication, adjudgment, decision, finding, ruling, resolution, pronouncement, decree
Unanimous
(of two or more people) fully in agreement.
“the doctors were unanimous in their diagnoses”
synonyms: united, in complete agreement, in complete accord, of one mind, like-minded, of the same mind, in harmony, at one, with one voice
Stockpile
a large accumulated stock of goods or materials, especially one held in reserve for use at a time of shortage or other emergency.
“a stockpile of sandbags was being prepared”
synonyms: stock, store, supply, accumulation, collection, reserve, hoard, cache, bank
Instability
lack of stability; the state of being unstable.
“political and economic instability”
synonyms: unsteadiness, unsoundness, shakiness, ricketiness, wobbliness, frailty, fragility, flimsiness, insubstantiality
Deploy
move (troops or equipment) into position for military action.
“forces were deployed at strategic locations”
synonyms: posit
Troops
soldiers or armed forces.
“UN peacekeeping troops”
synonyms: soldiers, armed forces, service men, men, service women, the services, the army, the military, soldiery
Escalate
increase rapidly.
“the price of tickets escalated”
synonyms: be jacked up, go through the ceiling, go through the roof, skyrocket, balloon
Spate
a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession.
“a spate of attacks on travelers”
synonyms: series, succession, run, cluster, string, outbreak, rash, epidemic, explosion
Collateral
something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default.
“she put her house up as collateral for the bank loan”
synonyms: security, surety, guarantee, guaranty, pledge, bond, insurance, indemnity, indemnification
Casualties
a person killed or injured in a war or accident.
“the shelling caused thousands of civilian casualties”
synonyms: victim, fatality, mortality, loss, MIA, dead and injured/wounded, missing in action, missing
Truce
an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time.
“the guerrillas called a three-day truce”
synonyms: letup
Blockade
an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving.
“there was a blockade of humanitarian aid”
synonyms: barricade, barrier, roadblock, obstacle, obstruction, impediment, bulwark, block, hindrance
Ample
enough or more than enough; plentiful.
“there is ample time for discussion”
synonyms: plentiful, abundant, copious, profuse, rich, lavish, liberal, generous, bountiful
Posterity
all future generations of people.
“the victims’ names are recorded for posterity”
synonyms: future generations, succeeding generations, those who come after us, the future
Glory
high renown or honor won by notable achievements.
“to fight and die for the glory of one’s nation”
synonyms: bouquets
Elapsed
(of time) pass or go by.
“weeks elapsed before anyone was charged with the attack”
synonyms: pass, go by/past, proceed, progress, advance, wear on, march on, slip by/away/past, roll by/past
Booming
having a period of great prosperity or rapid economic growth.
“the booming economy”
synonyms: going strong
Mutter
say something in a low or barely audible voice, especially in dissatisfaction or irritation.
“he muttered something under his breath”
synonyms: talk under one’s breath, murmur, mumble, whisper, speak in an undertone, speak sotto voce, speak in hushed tones, talk to oneself
Husky
(of a voice or utterance) sounding low-pitched and slightly hoarse.
“his voice became a husky, erotic whisper”
synonyms: throaty, gruff, deep, gravelly, hoarse, coarse, croaking, croaky, rough
Slurred
speak (words or speech) indistinctly so that the sounds run into one another.
“he was slurring his words like a drunk”
synonyms: misarticulate
Feasible
possible to do easily or conveniently.
“it is not feasible to put most finds from excavations on public display”
synonyms: accomplishable
Prosecute
institute legal proceedings against (a person or organization).
“they were prosecuted for obstructing the highway”
Negligence
failure to take proper care in doing something.
“some of these accidents are due to negligence”
synonyms: disregardfulness, inadvertence, inadvertency, oscitation
Spotless
absolutely clean or pure; immaculate.
“a spotless white apron”
synonyms: speckless
Meticulous
showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise.
“he had always been so meticulous about his appearance”
synonyms: nice, laborious
Immaculate
(especially of a person or their clothes) perfectly clean, neat, or tidy.
“an immaculate white suit”
synonyms: tip-top, A1
Fastidious
very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
“he chooses his words with fastidious care”
synonyms: scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, meticulous, assiduous, sedulous, perfectionist, fussy, finicky
Manifest
clear or obvious to the eye or mind.
“the system’s manifest failings”
synonyms: obvious, clear, plain, apparent, evident, patent, palpable, distinct, definite
Smuggling
the illegal movement of goods into or out of a country.
“cocaine smuggling has increased alarmingly”
Forgery
the action of forging or producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote, or work of art.
“he was found guilty of forgery”
synonyms: coining
Firearm
a rifle, pistol, or other portable gun.
“Jones pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with criminal intent”
synonyms: gun, weapon
Detain
keep (someone) from proceeding; hold back.
“she made to open the door, but he detained her”
synonyms: delay, hold up, make late, retard, keep (back), slow up, slow down, set back, get bogged down
Warrant
a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police or some other body to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action relating to the administration of justice.
“magistrates issued a warrant for his arrest”
synonyms: authorization, written order, license, permit, official document, writ, order, summons, subpoena
Magistrate
a civil officer or lay judge who administers the law, especially one who conducts a court that deals with minor offenses and holds preliminary hearings for more serious ones.
Custody
the protective care or guardianship of someone or something.
“the property was placed in the custody of a trustee”
synonyms: care, guardianship, charge, keeping, safe keeping, wardship, ward, responsibility, protection
Remand
place (a defendant) on bail or in custody, especially when a trial is adjourned.
“I had a seventeen-year-old son remanded to a drug-addiction program”
Bail
the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money be lodged to guarantee their appearance in court.
“he has been released on bail”
synonyms: gage, earnest
Abolition
the action or an act of abolishing a system, practice, or institution.
“the abolition of child labor”
synonyms: scrapping, ending, stopping, doing away with, termination, eradication, elimination, extermination, destruction
Retribution
punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.
“employees asked not to be named, saying they feared retribution”
synonyms: punishment, penalty, nemesis, fate, doom, one’s just deserts, due reward, just reward, wages
Deterrent
a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.
“cameras are a major deterrent to crime”
synonyms: disincentive, discouragement, dissuasion, damper, brake, curb, check, restraint, obstacle
Reoffend
commit a further offense.
“people who reoffend while on bail”
Inmate
a person confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital.
“inmates of the Louisiana State Penitentiary”
synonyms: prisoner, convict, captive, detainee, internee
Deviate
depart from an established course.
“you must not deviate from the agreed route”
synonyms: diverge, digress, drift, stray, slew, veer, swerve, turn away, turn aside
Segregation
the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart.
“the segregation of pupils with learning difficulties”
synonyms: separation, setting apart, keeping apart, sorting out, isolation, quarantine, insulation, exclusion, closeting
Confine
keep or restrict someone or something within certain limits of (space, scope, quantity, or time).
“he does not confine his message to politics”
synonyms: restrict, limit, keep within the limits of, not allow to go beyond
Consent
permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.
“no change may be made without the consent of all the partners”
synonyms: approbation
Enlisted
enroll or be enrolled in the armed services.
“hundreds of thousands of recruits had been enlisted”
synonyms: press, press-gang
Combat
fighting between armed forces.
“men killed in combat”
synonyms: battle, fighting, action, hostilities, conflict, armed conflict, war, warfare, bloodshed
Command
give an authoritative order.
“a gruff voice commanded us to enter”
synonyms: order, give orders to, give the order to, tell, direct, instruct, call on, enjoin, adjure
Ordeal
a painful or horrific experience, especially a protracted one.
“the ordeal of having to give evidence”
synonyms: painful/unpleasant experience, trial, tribulation, test, nightmare, trauma, baptism of fire, hell, hell on earth
Oust
drive out or expel (someone) from a position or place.
“he ousted a long-term incumbent by only 500 votes”
synonyms: out
Vows
a solemn promise.
synonyms: troth
Blast
a destructive wave of highly compressed air spreading outward from an explosion.
“they were thrown backward by the blast”
synonyms: shock wave, pressure wave, bang, crash, crack
Curb
a check or restraint on something.
“curbs on the powers of labor unions”
Riddle
a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning, typically presented as a game.
“they started asking riddles and telling jokes”
Brink
an extreme edge of land before a steep or vertical slope.
“the brink of the cliffs”
synonyms: marge, bourn, skirt
Allegation
a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof.
“after leaving he made allegations of corruption against the company”
synonyms: deposition, representation
Amid
surrounded by; in the middle of.
“our dream home, set amid magnificent rolling countryside”
synonyms: amidst, in the midst of
Scathing
witheringly scornful; severely critical.
“she launched a scathing attack on the governor”
synonyms: mordacious
Excruciating
intensely painful.
“excruciating back pain”
synonyms: exquisite
Ensuing
occurring afterward or as a result.
“there were repeated clashes in the ensuing days”
Infested
(of insects or animals) be present (in a place or site) in large numbers, typically so as to cause damage or disease.
“the house is infested with cockroaches”
synonyms: overrun, swarming, teeming, crawling, bristling, alive, ridden, infiltrated, permeated
Dazed
unable to think or react properly; bewildered.
“I was left dazed and confused”
Gruelling
extremely tiring and demanding.
“a grueling schedule”
synonyms: exigent
Drastic
likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme.
“a drastic reduction of staffing levels”
synonyms: extreme, serious, forceful, desperate, dire, radical, far-reaching, momentous, substantial
Swamp
an area of low-lying, uncultivated ground where water collects; a bog or marsh.
synonyms: marsh, bog, quagmire, mire, morass, fen, quag, sump, swampland
Interrogation
the action of interrogating or the process of being interrogated.
“would he keep his mouth shut under interrogation ?”
synonyms: questioning, cross-questioning, cross-examination, quizzing, probing, inquisition, catechism, investigation, interviewing
Unpalatable
not pleasant to taste.
“scraps of unpalatable food”
synonyms: unappetizing, uninviting, unappealing, unsavory, off-putting, inedible, uneatable, bitter, sour
Anonymous
(of a person) not identified by name; of unknown name.
“the donor’s wish to remain anonymous”
synonyms: unsigned, unattributed, unattested, uncredited
Posthumously
after the death of the originator.
“a number of songs were posthumously published in 1924”
