precrime

adj, noun — 3 senses

precrime

adj

Etymology From pre- + crime.

1

Before a crime.

The precrime actions of the murderers in the days and hours before they killed provide clues to their mental states at the time of the murders.1995, Robert K. Ressler, Ann Wolbert Burgess, John E. Douglas, Sexual homicide: patterns and motives, page 65:

precrime

noun

Etymology From pre- + crime.

1

The act that is close to, or is a precursor of a crime.

Held captive by society against their own free wills, the precogs are destined to foretell disturbing precrimes. Yet these precrimes will be committed by persons who are exercising their own free wills.2002, Ethix: The Bulletin of the Institute for Business, Technology & Ethics, Issues 22-38:

2

The tendency in criminal justice systems to focus on crimes not yet committed.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.