What does crim mean?
Crim is an informal noun meaning a criminal — a person who breaks the law, most often used for petty offenders, repeat offenders, or criminals discussed in a casual or dismissive way. The word is chiefly British, appearing regularly in tabloid journalism, police slang, and everyday conversation, as in 'the crims who raided the corner shop'. It functions as a clipped, punchy alternative to longer terms such as criminal or offender, which gives it a breezy, colloquial flavour that suits headlines and informal talk but makes it unsuitable for formal legal contexts. Unlike neutral legal vocabulary, crim often implies a degree of familiarity with its subject, as though speaker and listener share a knowing attitude toward the criminal class. Its plural is simply crims. Though compact, the word sits within a large family of terms derived from the same Latin root that gave us crime, criminal, and incriminate, making it a handy shorthand with deep linguistic roots.
nounA criminal, especially one who commits petty or habitual offences. The word is chiefly British informal usage.
- An informal term for a criminal, particularly someone guilty of petty or repeat offending.
"The paper ran photos of the two crims who had been preying on tourists along the seafront."
"Local residents complained that known crims were hanging around the car park after dark."
"The detective had spent decades putting crims away and had little patience for paperwork."
Standard pluralisation by adding -s.
"Police say the same small group of crims is responsible for most of the break-ins in the area."
Crim is what British tabloid headline writers reach for when 'criminal' won't fit above the fold — a whole offence shortened to four letters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crim
Crim is a clipped form of 'criminal', formed by simple shortening, a process common in informal British English. It ultimately descends from the Latin 'crimen', meaning charge, accusation, or offence, the same root that produced 'crime' and the broader family including 'incriminate' and 'criminology'. The shortened form arose as colloquial slang, gaining currency in twentieth-century British usage before spreading into general informal speech.
How crim is actually used
Crim is informal and colloquial, heard most often in British English, especially in journalism, policing circles, and casual speech. It carries a slightly dismissive or world-weary tone rather than a neutral legal one, so it would be out of place in formal legal writing.
Easily confused with crim
Grim means forbidding or gloomy, while crim is an informal noun for a criminal.
Crime is the illegal act itself, whereas crim is an informal noun for a person who commits such acts.