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Law and order in French

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When discussing law and order in French, Défendre can mean defending someone or forbidding something, depending on the construction. Acquitter means declaring an accused person not guilty. Relâcher means releasing someone who was being held; it does not by itself say that the person was found not guilty.

Preuve is a noun for evidence or an individual piece of evidence, while Prouver is the verb for establishing that something is true. Amende is a financial penalty, so it does not refer to every kind of punishment.

  1. Prouver /pʁuˈve/ a prouvé Prove B1Intermediate#
  2. Défendre /deˈfɑ̃dʁ/ a défendu irregular Defend B1Intermediate#
  3. Pot-de-vin /po də ˈvɛ̃/ le pl. les pots-de-vin Bribe B2Advanced#
  4. Incendie criminel /ɛ̃sɑ̃di kʁimiˈnɛl/ l' pl. les incendies criminels Arson B2Advanced#
  5. Braconnier /bʁakɔˈnje/ le pl. les braconniers Poacher B2Advanced#
  6. Intenter une action /ɛ̃tɑ̃te yn akˈsjɔ̃/ Prosecute C1Advanced#
  7. Détention /detɑ̃ˈsjɔ̃/ la pl. les détentions Detention B2Advanced#
  8. Mise en liberté provisoire /miz ɑ̃ libɛʁte pʁɔviˈzwaʁ/ la pl. les mises en liberté provisoire Bail C1Advanced#
  9. Acquitter /akiˈte/ a acquitté Acquit B2Advanced#
  10. Inculpé /ɛ̃kylˈpe/ l' pl. les inculpés Defendant C1Advanced#
  11. Procureur /pʁɔkyˈʁœʁ/ le pl. les procureurs Public prosecutor B2Advanced#
  12. Sentence /sɑ̃ˈtɑ̃s/ la pl. les sentences Sentence B2Advanced#
  13. Voleur /vɔˈlœʁ/ le pl. les voleurs Thief A2Elementary#
  14. Coupable /kuˈpabl/ Guilty B1Intermediate#
  15. Innocent /inɔˈsɑ̃/ Innocent B1Intermediate#
  16. Punir /pyˈniʁ/ a puni Punish B1Intermediate#
  17. Échapper /eʃaˈpe/ a échappé Escape B1Intermediate#
  18. Bagarre /baˈɡaʁ/ la pl. les bagarres Fight B1Intermediate#
  19. Objets de valeur /ɔbʒɛ də vaˈlœʁ/ l' pl. les objets de valeur Valuables B1Intermediate#
  20. Amende /aˈmɑ̃d/ l' pl. les amendes Fine B1Intermediate#
  21. Dossier /dɔˈsje/ le pl. les dossiers Case B1Intermediate#
  22. Lié à la drogue /lje a la ˈdʁɔɡ/ Drug-related B2Intermediate#
  23. Agresser /agʁeˈse/ a agressé Assault B1Intermediate#
  24. Preuve /ˈpʁœv/ la pl. les preuves Proof B1Intermediate#
  25. Accusation /akyzaˈsjɔ̃/ l' pl. les accusations Charge B2Intermediate#
  26. Accuser /akyˈze/ a accusé Accuse B1Intermediate#
  27. Protection /pʁɔtɛkˈsjɔ̃/ la pl. les protections Protection B1Intermediate#
  28. Cambriolage /kɑ̃bʁijɔˈlaʒ/ le pl. les cambriolages Burglary B1Intermediate#
  29. Protéger /pʁɔteˈʒe/ a protégé Protect A2Elementary#
  30. Avocat /avɔˈka/ l' pl. les avocats Lawyer A2Elementary#
  31. En sécurité /ɑ̃ sekyʁiˈte/ Safe A2Elementary#
  32. Agression /aɡʁɛˈsjɔ̃/ l' pl. les agressions Mugging B1Intermediate#
  33. Condamner /kɔ̃daˈne/ a condamné Condemn B1Intermediate#
  34. Autoriser /otɔʁiˈze/ a autorisé Allow A2Intermediate#
  35. Tribunal /tʁibyˈnal/ le pl. les tribunaux Court B1Intermediate#
  36. Prisonnier /pʁizɔˈnje/ le pl. les prisonniers Prisoner B1Intermediate#
  37. Questionner /kɛstjɔˈne/ a questionné Question B1Intermediate#
  38. Armé /aʁˈme/ Armed B1Intermediate#
  39. Justice /ʒysˈtis/ la Justice B1Intermediate#
  40. Incident /ɛ̃siˈdɑ̃/ l' pl. les incidents Incident B1Intermediate#
  41. Victime /vikˈtim/ la pl. les victimes Victim B1Intermediate#
  42. Vandalisme /vɑ̃daˈlism/ le Vandalism B2Intermediate#
  43. Fraude /ˈfʁod/ la pl. les fraudes Fraud B2Intermediate#
  44. Témoin /teˈmwɛ̃/ le pl. les témoins Witness B1Intermediate#
  45. Confession /kɔ̃fɛˈsjɔ̃/ la pl. les confessions Confession B2Intermediate#
  46. Suspect /sysˈpɛ/ le pl. les suspects Suspect B1Intermediate#
  47. Sanction /sɑ̃kˈsjɔ̃/ la pl. les sanctions Punishment B2Intermediate#
  48. Relâcher /ʁəlaˈʃe/ a relâché Release B2Intermediate#
  49. Criminel /kʁimiˈnɛl/ le pl. les criminels Criminal B1Intermediate#
  50. Taux de criminalité /to də kʁiminaliˈte/ le pl. les taux de criminalité Crime rate B2Intermediate#
  51. Meurtre /ˈmœʁtʁ/ le pl. les meurtres Murder B1Intermediate#
  52. Meurtrier /mœʁtʁiˈje/ le pl. les meurtriers Murderer B1Intermediate#
  53. Crime /ˈkʁim/ le pl. les crimes Crime B1Elementary#
  54. Tuer /ˈtɥe/ a tué Kill A2Elementary#
  55. Juge /ˈʒyʒ/ le/la pl. les juges Judge B1Elementary#
  56. Enquêter /ɑ̃kɛˈte/ a enquêté Investigate B2Intermediate#
  57. Actions /akˈsjɔ̃/ l' pl. les actions Actions A2Elementary#
  58. Aléatoire /aleaˈtwaʁ/ Random B2Intermediate#
  59. Jury /ʒyˈʁi/ le pl. les jurys Jury B2Intermediate#
  60. Braqueur /bʁaˈkœʁ/ le pl. les braqueurs Robber B2Intermediate#
  61. Empreintes digitales /ɑ̃pʁɛ̃t diʒiˈtal/ l' pl. les empreintes digitales Fingerprints B2Intermediate#
  62. Offensif /ɔfɑ̃ˈsif/ Offensive B2Intermediate#
  63. Pourchasser /puʁʃaˈse/ a pourchassé Chase B2Intermediate#
  64. Voleur à l'étalage /vɔlœʁ a letaˈlaʒ/ le pl. les voleurs à l'étalage Shoplifter B2Intermediate#

Rules to remember

  • Victime is feminine even when it refers to a man. Crime and Meurtre are masculine nouns despite their final -e.
  • In Empreintes digitales, the adjective follows the noun and agrees with it in the feminine plural.
  • Pot-de-vin is written with two hyphens. In Objets de valeur, the noun before de is plural, while valeur stays singular.

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