Meaning & use
thought crime
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountable
the idea of punishing someone for their private thoughts or beliefs rather than for actions
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or without: 'It's a thought crime' / 'They accused him of thought crime.'
Patterns
- commit a thought crime
- be accused of thought crime
- thought crime legislation
The novel imagines a society where thought crime is severely punished.
Critics say the new law turns unpopular opinions into a thought crime.
He was reported to the authorities for committing a thought crime.
Word forms
| plural | thought crimes |
|---|
Common combinations
- commit a thought crime
- In the story, simply disagreeing with the party was to commit a thought crime.
- be guilty of thought crime
- You could be found guilty of thought crime just for what you believed.
- thought crime legislation
- Opponents described the bill as thought crime legislation.
- accuse someone of thought crime
- They accused her of thought crime for expressing doubts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thought policing
- Focuses on the act of monitoring and controlling what people think, rather than the crime itself.
- mind crime
- A less common variant with the same meaning, often used in science fiction.
Word family
- thought noun
- an idea or opinion produced by thinking
- crime noun
- an illegal act
- criminal noun
- a person who has committed a crime
Commonly confused: thought crime or hate crime?
thought crime vs hate crime
A hate crime is a real illegal act motivated by prejudice, while a thought crime is a fictional or criticized idea of punishing beliefs alone.
Practice
In the novel, what is a 'thought crime'?
Choose one answer.
A thought crime is about punishing private beliefs or opinions, not about planning a real illegal act or dreaming. Option 0 and 3 describe actual intended actions, and option 2 is too literal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thought crime”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.