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Criminology includes the study of all aspects of crime and law enforcement—criminal psychology, the social setting of crime, prohibition and prevention, investigation and detection, capture and punishment. Thus, many of the people involved—legislators, social workers, probation officers, judges, etc.—could possibly be considered criminologists, though the word usually refers only to scholars and researchers.
Examples of criminology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Veltri earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of South Florida and a law degree from the Widener University School of Law in Delaware.
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Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025
WATCH For decades, true-crime fans were captivated by the French criminology expert and author Stéphane Bourgoin, known for his jailhouse interviews with some of the country’s most sinister offenders.
—airmail.news, 7 Aug. 2024
However, there are trends among school shooters in general, says Jillian Peterson, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Hamline University who studies mass shootings.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 Dec. 2024
There’s much more to be learned, but evidence revealed in the case so far suggests the suspect may have been driven by ideological factors reaching far beyond any personal grievances, criminology experts told The Sun.
—Brooke Conrad, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
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Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2025
WATCH For decades, true-crime fans were captivated by the French criminology expert and author Stéphane Bourgoin, known for his jailhouse interviews with some of the country’s most sinister offenders.
—airmail.news, 7 Aug. 2024
However, there are trends among school shooters in general, says Jillian Peterson, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at Hamline University who studies mass shootings.
—Meg Anderson, NPR, 19 Dec. 2024
There’s much more to be learned, but evidence revealed in the case so far suggests the suspect may have been driven by ideological factors reaching far beyond any personal grievances, criminology experts told The Sun.
—Brooke Conrad, Baltimore Sun, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for criminology
Dictionary Entries Near criminology
Cite this Entry
“Criminology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminology. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkrim-ə-ˈnäl-ə-jē 
: a scientific study of crime, of criminals, and of their punishment or correction
Medical Definition
Legal Definition
criminology
noun
crim·i·nol·o·gy
ˌkri-mə-ˈnä-lə-jē
: the scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon, of criminals, and of penal treatment
criminologically
adverb
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