Criminal Law

Confession is the act of admitting or acknowledging something, often about a wrongdoing or secret. It can also refer to a formal disclosure of beliefs or experiences. The term carries a sense of vulnerability and truth-telling, typically involving a statement made to another person or a group. In practice, it can be legal, religious, or personal in nature, emphasizing honesty and revelation.

Confinement refers to the state of being restricted, enclosed, or kept within bounds, often in a controlled environment. It can describe physical imprisonment, quarantine, or any situation where freedom of movement is limited. The term can be used in legal, medical, or social contexts to indicate enforced limitation of liberty or space.

Conspiracy refers to a secret plan by a group to do something harmful or unlawful. It can also denote the act of forming such a plan or the group itself. The term often appears in legal, political, and media contexts to describe collusion or scheming that is hidden from public view.

Continuance refers to the act or state of continuing or lasting; it implies persistence or duration over time. In legal and formal contexts, it can denote a postponement or adjournment to a later time. The term emphasizes ongoing duration rather than a specific endpoint, often conveying a sense of steady, uninterrupted progression.

Contraband is goods that are illegal to import, export, or possess. It’s commonly used in legal and law-enforcement contexts to describe prohibited items that evade customs or sanctions. The term conveys illicit trade and can appear in formal documents, news reporting, and policy discussions.

Criminal is a noun or adjective referring to someone who commits or relates to crime; as a noun it denotes a person who has committed a crime, and as an adjective it describes activities or behaviors associated with crime. In everyday use, it often appears in legal, media, and policy contexts to discuss offenses, justice, and prevention. The term emphasizes wrongdoings against the law and social norms.

Cybercrime refers to illegal activities carried out using computers or the internet, such as hacking, financial fraud, and online data breaches. It covers crimes perpetrated through digital means, often targeting information, systems, and networks. The term combines cyber- (relating to computers) with crime, indicating unlawful acts conducted in cyberspace.

Detention refers to the act of keeping someone in custody or confinement, often as a form of punishment or administrative hold. It can also denote the period of time someone is required to stay, usually after school or during a scheduled delay, for disciplinary or safety-related reasons. The term carries formal, institutional connotations and implies temporary restraint rather than freedom of movement.

Discovery refers to the action or process of finding something that was hidden or unknown, often leading to new knowledge or insights. It can describe the act itself, the result of finding something, or the moment when something is revealed. The term is commonly used in science, exploration, and everyday problem-solving contexts.

DNA is a short form for deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries genetic information in living organisms. In spoken language, it is typically pronounced as a sequence of letters rather than as the full phrase, signaling familiarity with scientific jargon. It functions as a noun in most contexts, though in some settings you may see it used as an attributive label (e.g., DNA analysis).

Exoneration is the formal release from blame or accusation, typically following evidence that clears someone of fault. It denotes clearing someone's name in a legal or moral sense and can also apply to lighter moral reproaches. The term emphasizes absolution through verification of innocence rather than pardon or forgiveness alone.

Extortion is the act of obtaining money, property, or services from another person through coercion, threats, or abuse of power. It involves leveraging fear or pressure to force compliance, often by implying or presenting harm or negative consequences. The term is typically used in legal or criminal contexts to describe a crime of coercive wealth extraction.

Felony is a serious crime, typically punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. The term denotes offenses that are more grave than misdemeanors, such as robbery or murder, and it carries significant legal consequences and societal stigma. In everyday use, it often contrasts with lesser offenses and is central to criminal law discussions and policy debates.

Fingerprinting is the process of identifying someone or something by analyzing patterns, marks, or traces they leave behind. In everyday use, it often refers to biometric identification via finger ridges, or to the act of determining origin or authenticity from distinctive marks. In technical contexts, it can also mean tracing activities or data to a source through unique identifiers.

Forensic refers to the application of scientific methods and techniques to investigate and establish facts in criminal and civil cases. It often describes institutions, disciplines, or a field focused on evidence-based analysis, such as forensic science, forensic pathology, or forensic anthropology, used to support legal proceedings. The term emphasizes rigorous, methodical examination and interpretation of data to determine truth or guilt or innocence.

Informant refers to a person who provides information, often within a formal or investigative context, such as law enforcement or journalism. The term can describe someone who shares insider knowledge or tips, sometimes confidentially. In usage, “informant” typically signals a source who contributes information, sometimes under an expectation of anonymity or protection.

Infraction is a violation or breach of a rule or law. It denotes a formal offense, typically resulting in a penalty, and is used across legal, regulatory, and security contexts. The term emphasizes the act of breaking a rule rather than the severity of consequences.

An inquiry or systematic examination into a matter, especially to uncover facts or determine causes. It typically involves gathering evidence, analysis, and reporting to establish findings. The term is often used in legal, scientific, and journalistic contexts, and can refer to both formal investigations and more general processes of probing a question.

Kidnapping is the act of unlawfully taking and carrying away a person by force or deceit. It generally involves stealing a person away from their ordinary environment and detaining them, often for ransom or coercion. The term conveys serious criminal wrongdoing and is used in legal, news, and policy contexts.

Legal is an adjective and noun related to law and legality. In everyday use, it describes something permitted or required by law, or pertains to law as a field or profession. The term often appears in formal, regulatory, and academic contexts, with distinctive stress and smooth, non-nasal vowels that fit fluid, legal-sounding speech.

Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a person without the premeditation or intent required for murder. It typically results from reckless or negligent conduct (or in some jurisdictions, as a result of provocation) and carries serious criminal penalties. The term distinguishes a less culpable killing from murder, reflecting the absence of deliberated malice.

Misconduct refers to inappropriate or illegal behavior by someone in a position of authority or trust. It describes actions that violate rules, standards, or ethical norms within an organization or context. The term covers a range of wrongful acts, from administrative violations to outright illegal activity, often leading to formal sanctions.

A mistrial is a trial that is terminated before its normal conclusion because of a fundamental error or a situation that prevents a fair proceeding, such as juror misconduct or hung jury. It results in no definitive verdict, and a new trial may be ordered or pursued. The term signals that the original proceeding did not meet legal standards.

Mitigating is acting in a way that makes a bad situation seem less severe or harmful, often by reducing blame, risk, or consequences. It also refers to actions taken to lessen the seriousness of an offense or impact, typically within legal or formal contexts. In discourse, it signals a corrective or preventative intent rather than admission of guilt.