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Vice vs Crime - What's the difference?

vice | crime |

In obsolete terms the difference between vice and crime

is that vice is a grip or grasp while crime is that which occasions crime.

As nouns the difference between vice and crime

is that vice is a bad habit while crime is a specific act committed in violation of the law.

As verbs the difference between vice and crime

is that vice is to hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice while crime is to commit crime(s).

As an adjective vice

is in place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank.

As a preposition vice

is instead of, in place of.

vice

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • A bad habit.
  • Smoking is a vice , not a virtue.
  • (legal) Any of various crimes related (depending on jurisdiction) to prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, or drugs.
  • A defect in the temper or behaviour of a horse, such as to make the animal dangerous, to injure its health, or to diminish its usefulness.
  • * From the case of Scholefield v. Robb (1839).
  • Antonyms
    * (bad habit) virtue
    Derived terms
    * vice squad

    See also

    * habit

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) ; akin to English withy.

    Alternative forms

    * vise (US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A mechanical screw apparatus used for clamping or holding (also spelled vise).
  • A tool for drawing lead into cames, or flat grooved rods, for casements.
  • (obsolete) A grip or grasp.
  • * 1597 , , II. I. 22:
  • Fang. An I but fist him once; an a’ come but within my vice ,–

    Verb

    (vic)
  • To hold or squeeze with a vice, or as if with a vice.
  • * 1610 , , I. ii. 416:
  • Camillo. As he had seen’t, or been an instrument / To vice you to't, that you have touched his queen / Forbiddenly
  • * De Quincey
  • The coachman's hand was viced between his upper and lower thigh.

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) , ablative form of vicis.

    Adjective

    vice (no comparative or superlative)
  • in place of; subordinate to; designating a person below another in rank
  • vice president
    vice admiral
    Derived terms
    * vice admiral * vice governor * vice mayor * vice president

    Preposition

    (head)
  • instead of, in place of
  • A. B. was appointed postmaster vice C. D. resigned.
    ----

    crime

    English

    (wikipedia crime)

    Noun

  • (countable) A specific act committed in violation of the law.
  • (uncountable) The practice or habit of committing crimes.
  • Crime doesn’t pay.
  • (uncountable) criminal acts collectively.
  • Any great wickedness or sin; iniquity.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • No crime' was thine, if 'tis no ' crime to love.
  • (obsolete) That which occasions crime.
  • * Spenser
  • the tree of life, the crime of our first father's fall

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives often applied to "crime": organized, brutal, terrible, horrible, heinous, horrendous, hideous, financial, sexual, international.

    Synonyms

    * (criminal acts collectively) delinquency, crime rate, criminality

    Hyponyms

    * * * * * * *

    Derived terms

    * crime against humanity * crime against nature * crimebuster * crime index * crime mapping * crime rate * criminal * criminal law * criminal record * criminology * decriminalization * international crime * organised crime / organized crime * sexual crime * war crime * white collar crime

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To commit (s).
  • * 1987 , Robert Sampson, Yesterday's Faces: From the Dark Side (ISBN 0879723637), page 61:
  • If, during the 1920s, the master criminal was a gamester, criming for self expression, during the 1930s he performed in other ways for other purposes.

    See also

    * offence * sin * administrative infraction (less serious violation of the law) ----