delitto

crime

noun deh-LEET-toh Less Common

Origin: From Latin delictum (fault, offence), from delinquere (to offend).

Also means

murder

Usage Note

Delitto specifically denotes a serious criminal offence — typically a felony or murder — and is more severe than reato (any criminal act) or crimine (crime in general). The phrase il delitto perfetto (the perfect crime) is well established. The plural delitti is regular.

Examples

"La polizia ha risolto il delitto in pochi giorni."

Natural Translation

The police solved the crime in a few days.

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