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.
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Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
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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/).
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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 September 30, 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 September 30, 2023. https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“cybercrime.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 30 Sep. 2023. <https://sociologydictionary.org/cybercrime/>.