Essential English Vocabulary for News, Law, and Verb Structures

Crimes and Criminal Acts Vocabulary

• blackmail – coercion by threat of revealing embarrassing information
• bribery – offering money or gifts to influence someone
• burglary – illegal entry into a building with intent to commit a crime
• drug dealing – selling or distributing illegal drugs
• fraud – deception for personal or financial gain
• hacking – gaining unauthorized access to computer systems
• hijacking – illegally seizing control of a vehicle, especially an aircraft
• kidnapping – abducting and holding someone captive
• mugging – a street robbery, often involving violence
• murder – the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another
• rape – non-consensual sexual penetration
• robbery – taking property from a person by force or threat
• smuggling – illegally importing or exporting goods
• stalking – harassing or pursuing someone persistently
• terrorism – unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
• theft – dishonestly taking property belonging to another
• vandalism – willful destruction or damage to property

Legal System Vocabulary

• arrested – taken into custody by police
• caught – apprehended while committing a crime
• charged – formally accused of a crime
• committed – performed or carried out (a crime)
• investigated – examined thoroughly to discover facts
• questioned – interrogated by police or lawyers
• accused – blamed for a wrongdoing
• acquitted – declared not guilty of a criminal charge
• court – a place where legal cases are heard
• evidence – facts or information indicating whether a belief is true or valid
• guilty – responsible for a specified wrongdoing
• judge – a public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law
• jury – a body of people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case
• proof – evidence or argument establishing a fact or the truth of a statement
• punishment – the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense
• sentenced – declared the punishment decided for an offender
• verdict – a decision on a disputed issue in a civil or criminal case
• witnesses – people who see an event and can give a firsthand account

Newspaper Headline Verbs

• backs – supports or endorses
• axed – cut, removed, or dismissed
• hit – affected negatively or attacked
• bids – attempts or makes an effort
• clash – conflict or disagreement
• vows – promises solemnly
• quiz – questions or interrogates
• rows – serious disagreements or disputes

Media Professionals Vocabulary

• agony aunt – a newspaper columnist who gives advice to readers about personal problems
• commentator – a person who provides a spoken commentary on an event or subject
• critic – a person who judges and assesses the merits of literary or artistic works
• editor – a person who prepares material for publication or broadcast
• freelance journalist – a journalist who works for various organizations rather than being employed by one
• newsreader – a person who reads the news on television or radio
• paparazzi – freelance photographers who pursue celebrities to take candid pictures
• presenter – a person who introduces and hosts a television or radio program
• reporter – a person who reports news for a newspaper or broadcast

Common Verb Patterns in English