Home > C Words > criminology

criminology

Definition of Criminology

(noun) The study of the causes and control of criminal behavior in society.

Example of Criminology

Criminology Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: crim·i·nol·o·gy

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /krim-uh-nAHl-uh-jee/
  • British English – /krim-i-nOl-uh-jee/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌkrɪməˈnɑlədʒi/
  • British English – /ˌkrɪmᵻˈnɒlədʒi/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: criminologies
  • Criminology is viewed as a sub-field of sociology by some and its own discipline by others.
  • A type of social science.
  • Type: penology
  • Also called criminal justice.
  • A specialist in criminology is a (noun) criminologist and studies (adjective) criminologic or (adjective) criminological information (adverb) criminologically.

Related Video

Additional Information

Related Terms


Works Consulted

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Briggs, Steven M., and Joan Friedman. 2009. Criminology For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macmillan. (N.d.) Macmillan Dictionary. (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/).

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Ravelli, Bruce, and Michelle Webber. 2016. Exploring Sociology: A Canadian Perspective. 3rd ed. Toronto: Pearson.

Siegel, Larry J., and Clemens Bartollas. 2011. Corrections Today. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Siegel, Larry J., and John L. Worrall. 2012. Introduction to Criminal Justice. 13th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Siegel, Larry J., and John L. Worrall. 2013. Essentials of Criminal Justice. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Criminology

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “criminology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved March 29, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/criminology/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

criminology. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/criminology/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “criminology.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/criminology/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“criminology.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/criminology/>.