grave offenses

USAGE SUMMARY

"grave offenses" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use this phrase when you want to emphasize the seriousness of the offense or crime committed. For example: "The defendant was found guilty of several grave offenses, including manslaughter and grand theft."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Further, to favor the five grave offenses and to harm people by misleading them is lamentable.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The offense here of disrupting the sangha is one of the five grave offenses.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

To make groundless accusations about me is to murder your father; it is among the five grave offenses.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Stupefyingly, the new Vatican document also links raping children with ordaining women as priests, deeming both "graviora delicta," or grave offenses.

The New York Times

Prosecutors say that Lord Ashdown's testimony is crucial because it showed that Mr. Milosevic on this occasion was warned that his troops were committing grave offenses.

The New York Times

Scientific misconduct is generally understood to connote grave offenses like fraud or plagiarism, but only three of Harvard's charges were about published articles, and two of these concerned nothing more serious than missing data.

The New York Times - Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

A petition against the plans said the "grossly offensive" name choice "constitutes a grave offense to the African descent communities in London and elsewhere".

Vice

"It is a grave offense to our Catholic population".

The New York Times

Designers scrambled, fashion journalists pondered its deeper meaning and local officials took grave offense.

The New York Times

In Islam, insulting the Prophet Muhammad is a grave offense, and worshiping idols is prohibited.

The New York Times

In all countries it is considered a grave offense punishable by a long prison sentence or death.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "grave offenses" when you want to emphasize the seriousness and severity of the actions, often in legal, ethical, or moral contexts.

Common error

Avoid using "grave offenses" in casual conversation or lighthearted contexts. The phrase carries a significant weight and is more appropriate for formal discussions about serious wrongdoings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "grave offenses" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object of a verb or preposition. According to Ludwig, it is a correct phrase to use, particularly when denoting actions of significant severity.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

40%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "grave offenses" is a grammatically sound noun phrase used to describe serious wrongdoings. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's most appropriate in formal contexts such as news reports, academic papers, or legal discussions, where the severity of the actions needs to be emphasized. While semantically similar phrases exist, such as "serious transgressions" or "heinous crimes", each carries slightly different connotations. Therefore, the selection of "grave offenses" effectively communicates the weighty nature of the actions under consideration.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

serious transgressions

Replaces "offenses" with "transgressions" which implies a violation of a law or moral principle, and "grave" with "serious".

major violations

Substitutes "grave offenses" with "major violations", highlighting the act of breaking a rule or law.

severe breaches

Replaces "offenses" with "breaches" and "grave" with "severe", emphasizing a break or failure to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct.

heinous crimes

Uses "crimes" instead of "offenses" and "heinous" instead of "grave", indicating particularly shocking and evil acts.

grievous misdeeds

Replaces "offenses" with "misdeeds", implying wrongdoing, and "grave" with "grievous", indicating severe or serious.

flagrant violations

Replaces "grave" with "flagrant" stressing the obviously offensive nature of the offenses.

egregious wrongdoings

Highlights the offensiveness and unacceptability of the actions.

atrocious acts

Focuses on the brutality and cruelty of the committed actions.

serious delicts

Uses a more formal and legalistic term for offenses.

capital crimes

Specifies that the crimes are punishable by death.

FAQs

How can I use "grave offenses" in a sentence?

You can use "grave offenses" to describe serious wrongdoings, such as "The defendant was charged with several "grave offenses", including fraud and embezzlement."

What are some synonyms for "grave offenses"?

Alternatives for "grave offenses" include "serious transgressions", "major violations", or "heinous crimes" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "grave offenses" in everyday conversation?

While grammatically correct, "grave offenses" is a formal phrase best suited for legal, ethical, or serious discussions, and less appropriate for casual conversation.

What distinguishes "grave offenses" from simply "offenses"?

The adjective "grave" emphasizes the seriousness and severity of the "offenses", indicating they are particularly serious and impactful.