Law & Society
B1 words for law, crime, and society
Overview
15 B1-level words for law, crime, and society.
Words
arrest /əˈɹɛst/
noun, verb — B1
Meaning: A check, stop, an act or instance of arresting something.
Example:
- The arrest is very important.
- She talked about the arrest.
Collocations: the arrest, a arrest of, arrest is important
ban /bæn/
noun, verb — B1
Meaning: Prohibition.
Example:
- The ban is very important.
- She talked about the ban.
Collocations: the ban, a ban of, ban is important
court /kɔːt/
noun — B1
Meaning: An enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different buildings; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley.
Example:
- The girls were playing in the court.
- He was courting big new accounts that previous salesman had not attempted.
Collocations: the court, a court of, court is important
criminal /ˈkɹɪmənəl/
adjective — B1
Meaning: A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
Example:
- The result was very criminal.
- It’s a criminal situation.
Collocations: very criminal, quite criminal, extremely criminal
Word family: crime (dt.) → criminal (dt./tt.) → criminally (trt.)
illegal /ɪˈliːɡəl/
adjective — B1
Meaning: An illegal act or technique.
Example:
- The result was very illegal.
- Nearly 40 million people live in UK areas with illegal air pollution
Collocations: very illegal, quite illegal, extremely illegal
Word family: law (dt.) → lawyer (dt.) → legal (tt.) → illegal (tt.)
innocent /ˈɪnəsn̩t/
adjective — B1
Meaning: One who is innocent, especially a young child.
Example:
- The slaughter of the innocents was a significant event in the New Testament.
- It’s a innocent situation.
Collocations: very innocent, quite innocent, extremely innocent
judge /d͡ʒʌd͡ʒ/
noun, verb — B1
Meaning: A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice.
Example:
- The judge is very important.
- She talked about the judge.
Collocations: the judge, a judge of, judge is important
Word family: judge (dt./đt.) → judgment (dt.)
legal /ˈliː.ɡəl/
adjective — B1
Meaning: The legal department of a company.
Example:
- Legal wants this in writing.
- legal profession
Collocations: very legal, quite legal, extremely legal
Word family: legal (tt.) → legally (trt.) → legality (dt.) → illegal (tt.)
murder /ˈmɜːdə(ɹ)/
noun, verb — B1
Meaning: The crime of deliberately killing another person without justification.
Example:
- The defendant was charged with murder.
- The woman found dead in her kitchen was murdered by her husband.
Collocations: the murder, a murder of, murder is important
Word family: murder (dt./đt.) → murderer (dt.)
prisoner /ˈpɹɪzənəɹ/
noun — B1
Meaning: A person incarcerated in a prison, while on trial or serving a sentence.
Example:
- The prisoner is very important.
- She talked about the prisoner.
Collocations: the prisoner, a prisoner of, prisoner is important
protest /ˈpɹəʊ.tɛst/
noun, verb — B1
Meaning: A formal objection, especially one by a group.
Example:
- They lodged a protest with the authorities.
- How dare you, I protest!
Collocations: the protest, a protest of, protest is important
Word family: protest (dt./đt.) → protester (dt.)
prove /pɹuːv/
verb — B1
Meaning: To proofread.
Example:
- She proves every day.
- They proveed last week.
Collocations: prove something, prove that, try to prove
Word family: prove (đt.) → proof (dt.)
punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/
verb — B1
Meaning: To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action.
Example:
- If a prince violates the law, then he must be punished like an ordinary person.
- They punished last week.
Collocations: punish something, punish that, try to punish
Word family: punish (đt.) → punishment (dt.)
punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
noun — B1
Meaning: The act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction.
Example:
- The punishment is very important.
- She talked about the punishment.
Collocations: the punishment, a punishment of, punishment is important
Word family: punish (đt.) → punishment (dt.)
victim /ˈvɪktəm/
noun — B1
Meaning: One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceived, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
Example:
- the youngest victims of the brutal war
- She talked about the victim.
Collocations: the victim, a victim of, victim is important
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| arrest | n./v. | A check, stop, an act or instance of arresting something |
| ban | n./v. | Prohibition |
| court | n. | An enclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different buildings; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley |
| criminal | adj. | A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law |
| illegal | adj. | An illegal act or technique |
| innocent | adj. | One who is innocent, especially a young child |
| judge | n./v. | A public official whose duty it is to administer the law, especially by presiding over trials and rendering judgments; a justice |
| legal | adj. | The legal department of a company |
| murder | n./v. | The crime of deliberately killing another person without justification |
| prisoner | n. | A person incarcerated in a prison, while on trial or serving a sentence |
| protest | n./v. | A formal objection, especially one by a group |
| prove | v. | To proofread |
| punish | v. | To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action |
| punishment | n. | The act or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction |
| victim | n. | One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceived, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular: |