E
JERICHO
HIGH
SCHOOL
ENGLISH
NAME ____________________________
PERIOD___________
DATE ___________
MS. FISCHER
ENGLISH II
VOCABULARY
Joy of Vocabulary
Chapter 17: Words of Crime and Punishment
1. accessory (noun): person who, though not present at the time of a crime, aids in its
commission or helps the perpetrator to escape; accomplice
2. capital (adj): involving or punishable by the death penalty
3. charlatan (noun): person who fraudulently claims to have expert skill or knowledge; fake;
quack; imposter
4. contraband (noun): goods illegally imported or exported; smuggled merchandise
5. culpability (noun): quality or state of being culpable (deserving blame or censure);
blameworthiness
6. embezzlement (noun): stealing of money, securities, etc., entrusted to one’s care
7. exculpate (verb): free from blame or fault; prove guiltless; exonerate
8. extradition (noun): surrender of an alleged criminal by one state or country to the jurisdiction
of another for trial
9. felony (noun): major crime, such as murder, rape, arson, or burglary, for which the penalty
ranges from execution to imprisonment of more than a year
10. incarceration (noun): imprisonment; jailing; confinement
11. inculpate (verb): incriminate; make appear guilty
12. larceny (noun): unlawful taking away of another’s property, with intent to defraud the owner;
theft
13. misdemeanor (noun): minor offense punishable by fine or imprisonment of usually less than a
year; misdeed
14. penal (adj): involving punishment; having to do with penalties or correctional institutions
15. plagiarism (noun): act of plagiarizing (stealing the writing of another and passing it off as
one’s own)
16. poacher (noun): one who poaches (hunts or fishes illegally)
17. recidivist (noun): person with a tendency to relapse; chronic offender; habitual criminal
18. subpoena (noun): order summoning a person to testify in court under a penalty for failure to
appear
19. vandal (noun): person who maliciously defaces, spoils, or destroys public or private property
20. venue (noun): locality from which a jury is drawn and in which the trial is held
E
JERICHO
HIGH
SCHOOL
ENGLISH
NAME ____________________________
PERIOD___________
DATE ___________
MS. FISCHER
ENGLISH II
VOCABULARY
GROUP 17
Joy of Vocabulary, Chapter 17: Words of Crime and Punishment
accessory
capital
charlatan
contraband
culpability
embezzlement
exculpate
extradition
felony
incarceration
inculpate
labyrinth
larceny
misdemeanor
penal
plagiarism
poacher
recidivist
subpoena
vandal
venue
1. “That man is a ________________, not a doctor!” Ella exclaimed with indignation. “He is a fraud, an
imposter, and a quack!”
2. Fred was a ________________ of salmon. He fished off season and without a proper license,
depleting the ocean of critical fish stock.
3. ________________ is a crime for which you can be expelled from college. It is stealing, not of
something tangible, but of intellectual property. It is also a sign of a weak moral conscience.
4. The news media certainly ________________ed O.J. Simpson, but despite this appearance of guilt,
he was found innocent of murder and was not subjected to ________________.
5. A ________________ crime derives its name from “having to do with the head,” because in olden
days being convicted of such a crime might lead to decapitation.
6. The ________________ system of laws and penalties is a confusing ________________ of
interconnecting policies and repercussions that have been made into law over centuries.
7. Those hooligans ________________ized the school yard with senseless graffiti!
8. Should a ________________ criminal who is constantly getting caught for ________________s like
car theft, be treated by the penal system in the same fashion as a first time offender?
9. The ________________ of the big banks for the current financial crises is clear, however besides
throwing around blame, how else can the situation be rectified?
10. Hank was charged with ________________ when he shoplifted from the clothing store.
11. On street corners in New York City ________________ goods are often sold inexpensively.
12. Daisy was ________________ed for her crimes and left the court feeling liberated.
13. The defense attorney asked for a change of ________________ because she felt that the hometown
district of the victim would be prejudiced against the defendant.
14. Principals do not need an official ________________ to search students’ lockers if there is cause of
suspicion.
15. ________________ is a serious crime and defrauds many hard workers of their rightful money.
16. It can be quite difficult to get another country to agree to the ________________ of a suspect.
17. Knowing about a crime but not saying anything makes you an ________________ to the crime itself.
18. ________________ murder is one of the most serious crimes a person can be shared with.