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Definition of criminology

criminology

/ˌkrɪm.əˈnɑː.lə.dʒi/
crim · i · nol · o · gy
Adverb:criminologically
•
Adjective:criminological
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criminology Lexical Profile

criminology Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

The scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, consequences, and control of criminal behavior, both on an individual and social level.

Example

"She decided to major in criminology to better understand the socioeconomic factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency."

Word Nuance & Usage

Often confused with 'criminalistics' (forensic science); while criminology is the social science examining the causes and sociology of crime, criminalistics is the physical application of natural sciences to analyze crime scene evidence.

• Rhymes for criminology

• Nearby Words

criminalize
criminally
criminologist
criminology
crimp
crimper
crimson

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century (originally in Italian as 'criminologia' by anthropologist Raffaele Garofalo in 1885), combining the Latin stem 'crimin-' (from 'crimen', meaning 'accusation' or 'crime') with the Greek-derived suffix '-logy' ('study of').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Criminology. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/criminology
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