Unit 18. The Law Flashcards
(Encarcelable)
Imprisonable
(Encarcelamiento)
Imprisonment
A particular feature or detail.
Respect
(Expression) Within the limits of what is acceptable and possible.
Within reason
(Expression) Near the middle of something, and a long distance from its edges.
Deep in/Inside/Within something
- A group of people who have been chosen to listen to all the facts in the trial in a law court and to decide if a person is guilty or not guilty, or if a claim has been proved. (Jurado)
- A group of people chosen to decide the winner of a competition. (Jurado)
Jury
(Phrasal verb) To have to deal with a different or unpleasant situation. (Enfrentarse)
Contend with something
(Expression) To be determined to do or achieve something. (Estar decidido, resuelto)
Be intent on something/doing something
An illegal act; a crime. (Delito, infracción)
Offence (UK) / Offense (US)
(Expression) To some extent, but not allowing everything.
Within limits
(Expression) By the people who belong to an organisation and not by people from outside it. (Desde dentro)
From within
Something that deters people from doing something. (Freno, elemento disuasorio)
Deterrent
(Sin intención, accidental, sin querer)
Unintentional
(Saying) Said to emphasize that what you do is more important and shows your intentions and feelings more clearly than what you say.
Actions speak louder that words
(Expression) If you _ someone or something, you dislike them very much. (No soportar a)
Can’t abide somebody/something
Inside or not further than an area or period of time. (Dentro de, en)
Within
The crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building. (Incendio provocado)
Arson
(Expression) A magical power to injure or harm people by looking at them.
The evil eye
(Ejecutable)
Enforceable
A machine that regularly tests something. (Monitor)
Monitor
(Resentimiento, rencor)
Resentment
(Expression) To stay in prison for a very long time.
Rot in jail, prison, etc.
- Behaviour that hides your real feelings or intentions.
- A person or group that performs a short piece in a show, or the piece that they perform.
- A part of a play or opera. (Acto, número)
Act
To watch and check a situation carefully for a period of time in order to discover something about it. (Monitorizar, controlar, observar)
Monitor
(Disuasivo, disuasorio)
Deterrent
(Expression) The person who has done something wrong or who has committed a crime. (El/la culpable)
Guilty party
The part of a game such as American football that involves trying to score points, or the players who try to score points. (Ataque)
Offence (UK) / Offense (US)
(Imponer una multa)
Impose a fine
To formally give permission for something. (Autorizar)
Sanction
- (Expression) If a machine or vehicle is _, it is not working or cannot be used.
- (Expression) If a person is _, they are injured or ill and cannot do things they usually do.
Out of action
(Ser duro con)
Be tough on
Too strong, bright, loud, etc. (Fuerte, chillón, estridente)
Harsh
If someone is _, the case in which that person’s guilt is being judged has begun. (Ser procesado)
On trial
(Demostrado, comprobado)
Proven /ˈpruː.vən/
A planned military attack. (Ofensiva)
Offensive
(Aprobar una ley)
Pass a law
(Agresión, ofensa)
Offensiveness
Used for attacking. (Ofensivo)
Offensive
A child in school who has special jobs to do. (Encargado)
Monitor
(Expression) In the most limited meaning of a word, phrase, etc.
In a strict sense
(Expression) To catch someone and guard them so that the cannot escape.
Hold/Keep/Take somebody prisoner
(Expression) (Informal) Very close.
In/Within spitting distance
(Expression) (Formal) In connection with something.
In respect of something / With respect to something
(Expression) (Informal) Involvement in something successful that someone else has started.
A slice/piece of the action
To feel angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something you do not like. (Molestar, ofenderse, resentirse)
Resent
(Abolición)
Abolition
The crime of getting money by deceiving people. (Fraude, engaño, estafa)
Fraud
The state of being imprisoned, in captivity. (Encarcelamiento)
Imprisonment
- Causing offence. (Ofensivo)
- Unpleasant. (Obsceno, repudiable)
Offensive
(Duramente, asperamente)
Harshly
(Perpetración)
Perpetration
A legal official who accuses someone of committing a crime, especially in a law court.
Prosecutor
(Expression) Used to express polite disagreement in a formal situation.
With (all due) respect / With (the greatest) respect
(Expression) To look suitable or behave in a suitable way for a particular situation.
Dress/look/act the part
(Expression) (UK) (Informal) Used to tell people to get ready immediately to do the particular jobs that the have been given to do. (¡A sus puestos!)
Action stations!
(Expression) (UK) To almost achieve something.
Come within an ace of something
To do something to deal with a particular problem or matter. (Poner en marcha/práctica)
Action
Upset and hurt or annoyed feelings, often because someone has been rude or show no respect. (Ofensa)
Offence (UK) / Offense (US)
(Expression) To spend less money that you receive as income.
Live within your means
An attempt to hide your feelings from other people, or to entertain people, by deliberately behaving in a way that does not represent your true feelings.
Play-acting (Verb: Play-act)
(Phrasal verb) (Formal) To break a rule or principle or not fit well with something that people consider to be correct. (Atentar contra)
Offend against something
To prevent someone from doing something or to make someone less enthusiastic about doing something by making it difficult for them to do it or by threatening bad results if they do it. (Disusadir, impeder)
Deter
The group of people with official legal power to make decisions or make people obey the laws in a particular area, such as the police or a local government department.
The authorities
A type of crime that is not considered serious when compared with some other crimes. (Delito menor)
Petty crime
(Intencionadamente)
Intentionally
(Expression) Your conscience
Voice within you
(Expression) Possible
Within the realms of possibility
Unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than is necessary. (Duro, riguroso)
Harsh
(Expression) Hidden or unknown things that influence a particular situation, making it more complicated that it at first seems.
Wheels within wheels
Someone or something that deceives people by saying that they are someone or something that they are not. (Impostor)
Fraud
(Expression) In all the most important ways.
To/for all intents and purposes
- Illegal activities. (Delincuencia)
- An illegal act. (Delito)
- An unacceptable or very silly act or situation.
Crime
A person who has the job of watching of noticing particular things. (Supervisor)
Monitor
A law or formal decision made by a parliament or other group of people who make the laws for their country. (Ley)
Act
Giving all your attention to something. (Concentrado, absorto)
Intent
Something that you do.
Act
Examples
· an act of aggression/bravery/madness/terrorism
· a kind/thoughtless/selfish act
· The sexual act itself meant little to her
· The simple act of telling someone about a problem can help
· Primitive people regarded storms as an act of God
(Expression) To prove that something is true.
Go to prove/show
(Expression) To be able to believe a piece of information because you trust the person who told you it. (Saber de buena fuente)
Have something on good authority
- The crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people. (Vandalismo)
- Any activity that is considered to be damaging or destroying something that was good.
Vandalism
(Fuertemente, estridentemente)
Harshly
Someone who is _ obeys the law. (Cumplidor de la ley)
Law-abiding
(Expression) To behave in a silly way, often intentionally to make people laugh.
Act/play the fool
- A person in the armed forces who has a position of authority. (Oficial) - A person who has a position of authority in organisation. (Funcionario) - A member of the police force. (Agente de policía)
Officer
Small or of little importance. (Insignificante, trivial)
Petty
To show that something is true. (Demostrar, probar)
Prove
(Condenar a un delincuente)
Convit a criminal
- The moral of legal right or ability to control. (Autoridad)
- A group of people with official responsibility for a particular area of activity. (Poder)
Authority
- (Phrasal verb) If a person, especially a child, _, they behave badly. (Portarse mal)
- (Phrasal verb) If a machine or part of the body _, it does not perform as well as it should. (Fallar, estropearse)
Act up
- (Expression) Having two different purposes.
- (Expression) Refers to a gun that needs one action for preparing to shoot it and one action for shooting it.
Double-action
(Expression) (Humorous) Said about someone you think has no energy or ability.
Somebody couldn’t act/argue/fight their way out of a paper bag
An occasion when someone goes into a place or situation where they are not wanted or expected to be. (Intrusión, intromisión)
Intrusion
(Expression) (Formal) Polite formal greetings. (With convey/give + to someone)
Somebody’s respects
(Expression) To attack first. (Tomar la ofensiva)
Take the offensive
(Saying) Said to emphasize that you believe criminals are always punished for their crimes.
Crime doesn’t pay
- Something that you do.
- A physical movement.
Action
· She has to accept the consequences of her actions.
· I asked him to explain his actions.
(Cometer un crimen)
Commit a crime
(Expression) If _ on a subject, people do not know the answers or have not yet decided if it is good or bad.
The jury is (still) out
(Expression) To do what someone has asked to have done.
Respect somebody’s wishes
- To break or act against something, especially a law, agreement, principle, or something that should be treated with respect. (Violar, infringir)
- To go, especially forcefully, into a place or situation which should be treated with respect and in which you are not wanted or not expected to be. (Invadir)
- (Formal) To rape someone. (Violar)
Violate
(Expression) (Formal) To honour someone after their death, usually by going to their funeral.
Pay your respects / Pay your last respects
(Aplicación, ejecución)
Enforcement
The way something moves or works. (Mecanismo)
Action
(Resolver un crimen)
Solve a crime
To compete in order to win something. (Competir)
Contend
To put someone in prison. (Encarcelar)
Imprison
To end an activity or custom. (Abolir)
Abolish
- A building where criminals are forced to live as a punishment. (Prisión, cárcel)
- A system of keeping people in prisons. (Prisión)
- A situation or relationship from which ii is difficult to escape.
Prison
(Dureza, crueldad)
Harshness
(Expression) (Informal) To start to organize yourself so that you do things in an effective way.
Get your act together
(Carácter elusivo)
Elusiveness
- (Expression) Near.
- (Expression) Very near to getting or achieving something.
Within striking distance
(Formal) To commit a crime or a violent or harmful act. (Perpetrar, cometer)
Perpetrate
(Expression) If a government or an organization takes _, it gives preference to women, black people, or other groups that are often treated unfairly, when it is choosing people for a job.
Affirmative action
A prison where prisoners are not kept inside because they are trusted not to escape.
Open prison (UK) / Minimum-security prison (US)
- Morally bad, cruel, or very unpleasant. (Malvado)
- If the weather or a smell is evil, it is very unpleasant. (Horrible)
Evil
(Expression) Very soon
In/Within a short space of time
A situation in which someone avoids using physical force, especially when trying to make political change. (No violencia, pacifismo)
Non-violence
(De manera esquiva)
Elusively
Planned or intended. (Intencionado)
Intentional
(Aceptar las consecuencias)
Accept the consequences
To behave in a stated way. (Actuar, comportarse)
Act
(Expression) A man who prefers to do things rather than think about and discuss them.
A man of action
(Expression) At a time that you are able to remember.
Within your memory
The unfair situation in society when some people have more opportunities, money, etc. than other people. (Desigualdad)
Inequality
The crime of illegally entering a building and stealing things.
Burglary
Full of excited events.
Action-packed
- (Expression) To do a particular job, especially one that you do not normally do.
- (Expression) To have a particular effect.
Act as something
(Estridencia)
Harshness
Doing something dangerous and not worrying about risks and the possible results. (Temerario, imprudente)
Reckless
Selfish and mean, especially because of having too much interest in small unimportant matters. (Mezquino)
Petty
The process of doing something, especially when dealing with a problem or difficulty.
Action
(Expression) If you tell someone something _, you expect them not to tell it to anyone else.
In the strictest confidence
(Expression) A final attempt to prevent something from happening.
Rearguard action
(Expression) At the place where something important or interesting is happening. (En el meollo)
Where the action is
(Expression) (Formal) To act without being told to by someone in authority.
Act/do something in your own responsibility
To show a particular result after a period of time. (Resultar)
Prove
(De manera ofensiva, desagradablemente)
Offensively
To do something for a particular purpose of to solve a problem. (Obrar, tomar medidas)
Act
(Inocente)
Innocent
(Expression) If you are _ to do something, you are legally allowed to do it.
Within your rights
(Expression) Things that have a very bad influence or effect.
The forces of evil
(Expression) If someone _, when they try to achieve something they are very determined and do not care about other people’s feelings.
Take no prisoners
(Expression) To act a part in a film or play with someone as a partner.
Act/play/star opposite somebody
To make people obey a law, or to make a particular situation happen or be accepted. (Ejecutar, hacer cumplir)
Enforce
(Two words) A situation in which a person tries to give care and attention to two or more activities at the same time.
Balancing act
(Expression) Said to someone to tell them to stop behaving like someone who is much younger.
Act your age!
(Expression) Something that you do not like but must accept.
Necessary evil
(Expression) (Formal) To have been told something by someone who knows the truth.
Have it on the greatest authority
To perform a part in a film, play, etc. (Actuar)
Act
(Expression) To very nearly do something, especially something dangerous or exciting.
Come within an inch of something
(Expression) The use of strikes, violence, or protests as a way of trying to get what you want, instead of talking.
Direct action
The effect something has on another thing. (Efecto)
Action
To have an effect.
Act
(Expression) To do an intentional attempt to achieve something by using charm.
To launch/start a charm offensive
The person with the most important position in a company.
Chief executive officer (CEO)
(Expression) To behave in a particular, usually bad way. (Hacerse el tonto, mártir)
Act the fool, martyr, etc
- Strongly limiting someone’s freedom to behave as they wish, and likely to severely punish them if they do not obey. (Estricto)
- Exactly correct. (Riguroso)
- Describes someone who follows the rules and principles of a belief or way of living very carefully and exactly, or a belief or principle that is followed very carefully and exactly. (Estricto, riguroso, absolute)
Strict
(Expression) To be proud of your own qualities or achievements.
Respect yourself
Used for describing an area where there is a lot of crime.
Crime-ridden
An action that breaks or acts against something, especially a law, agreement, principle, or something that should be treated with respect. (Violación, infracción)
Violation
An expert on a subject. (Experto, autoridad)
Authority
(Pirómano)
Arsonist
(Expression) Not important.
Of little/no consequence / Not of much/any consequence
(Expression) (Mainly UK) Written on a notice on a building, meaning that the information can be found inside.
Inquire within
(Expression) Used to describe someone who talks about doing something but never does it.
Be all talk (and no action) / Be just talk
(Formal) To say that something is true or is a fact. (Afirmar, sostener)
Contend
A reason for doing something. (Móvil, motivo)
Motive
- An official order, such as the stopping of trade, that is taken against a country in order to make it obey international law. (Sanción)
- A strong action taken in order to make people obey a law or rule, or a punishment given when they do not obey. (Sanción)
Sanction
A device with a screen on which words or pictures can be shown. (Monitor)
Monitor
(Expression) If something has happened _, it can be remembered by some people who are still alive.
Within living memory
(Expression) A secret purpose or reason for doing something.
Ulterior motive, reason, purpose, etc.
Something that is very bad and harmful. (Mal)
Evil
(Formal) The fact that you want and plan to do something. (Propósito, intención)
Intent
(Expression) (UK) (Informal) The situation in which you are as ready as possible to perform a task you have been preparing for. (Preparado)
Action stations
Difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember. (Vago, impreciso, evasivo, difícil de encontrar/conseguir)
Elusive
(Expression) (Formal) To visit someone in order to welcome them or talk to them.
Pay your respects
(Two words) A repeat of an important moment from a sports event shown in television, often more slowly to show the action in detail. (Repetición de la jugada)
Action replay (UK) / Instant replay (US)
Approval or permission, especially formal or legal. (Permiso, autorización)
Sanction
A legal process that is decides in a law court. (Acción judicial)
Action
Things that are happening, especially when dealing with a problem or difficulty. (Acción, animación)
Action
(Expression) (Informal) Very guilty, miserable, or ugly.
As guilty/miserable/ugly as sin
- (Expression) To perform the actions and say the words of a situation or story. (Representar)
- (Expression) To express your thoughts, emotions, or ideas in your actions.
Act something out
(Temeridad, imprudencia)
Recklessness
(Phrasal verb) (Formal) To accept or obey an agreement, decision, or rule. (Acatar, cumplir)
Abide by something
(Expression) Very close.
Within shouting distance
(Expression) (Informal) To be so good that it is not likely that anyone or anything that comes after will be as good.
Be a hard/tough act to follow
(Expression) To almost do something or something almost happening to you.
Come within a whisker of (doing) something
(Precipitadamente, descuidadamente)
Recklessly
(Expression) To improve your behaviour or performance.
Sharpen up your act
(Contrabando)
Smuggling
(Expression) (Informal) To behave or speak in a false or artificial way.
Put on an act
The place in a court where the jury sits.
Jury box
Fighting a war. (Intervención militar)
Action
To make someone upset or angry. (Ofender)
Offend
The person who is on trial in a law court. (Acusado/s)
The accused (pl. The accused)
(Expression) To start to obey certain laws or generally accepted standards of behaviour.
Clean up your act
(Expression) To quickly start working.
Swing into action
(Legal) To commit a crime. (Cometer una infracción)
Offend
(Expression) To show that you are good at something.
Prove yourself
(Expression) To go away, usually because you do not want to do something or meet someone.
Do a disappearing/vanishing act
(Expression) (Informal) To take advantage of something that someone else started.
Get/muscle in on the act
A result of a particular action or situation, often one that is bad or not convenient. (Consecuencia)
Consequence
(Expression) During a period of six weeks, three hours. etc.
In/Within the space of six weeks, three hours, etc.
(Two words) A difficult task or situation that involves dealing with several different things at the same time.
Juggling act
(Expression) To show by your actions that someone’s judgement of you was not correct.
Prove somebody wrong
