In ordinary language, a
crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term
crime does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law. One proposed definition is that a crime or
offence is an act harmful not only to some individual but also to a community, society, or the state. Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law.