Definition of Cybercrime
(noun) Law-breaking behavior committed with the use of advanced technology, particularly computers and the internet.
Examples of Cybercrime
Cybercrime Pronunciation
Syllabification: cy·ber·crime
Audio Pronunciation
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈsaɪbərˌkraɪm/
- British English – /ˈsʌɪbəkrʌɪm/
Usage Notes
- Plural: cybercrimes
- A type of crime.
- Variant spellings:
- cyber-crime
- cyber crime
- Also called:
- high-tech crime
- high-technology crime
- An individual who commits a cybercrime is a (noun) cybercriminal and operates in (adjective) cybercriminalistic ways.
Additional Information
- Crime and Law Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Word origin of “cyber” and “crime” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Briggs, Steven M., and Joan Friedman. 2009. Criminology For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Farlex. (N.d.) TheFreeDictionary.com: Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus. Farlex. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/).
Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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/).
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/).
Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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 Cybercrime
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “cybercrime.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 1, 2023 (https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
cybercrime. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “cybercrime.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 1, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“cybercrime.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/>.