precrime

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

pre- +‎ crime

Adjective

precrime (not comparable)

  1. Before a crime.
    • 1995, Robert K. Ressler, Ann Wolbert Burgess, John E. Douglas, Sexual homicide: patterns and motives, page 65:
      The precrime actions of the murderers in the days and hours before they killed provide clues to their mental states at the time of the murders.

Noun

precrime (countable and uncountable, plural precrimes)

  1. (countable) The act that is close to, or is a precursor of a crime.
    • 2002, Ethix: The Bulletin of the Institute for Business, Technology & Ethics, Issues 22-38‎:
      Held captive by society against their own free wills, the precogs are destined to foretell disturbing precrimes. Yet these precrimes will be committed by persons who are exercising their own free wills.
  2. (uncountable) The tendency in criminal justice systems to focus on crimes not yet committed.
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