noncrimes
Not against law
Noncrimes are acts or behaviors that, despite potentially seeming suspicious, antisocial, or worthy of complaint, do not actually violate any law.
The term appears most often in discussions of police reports and public complaints: Officers spent hours responding to noncrimes like loud music and teenagers loitering.
It also surfaces in debates about overcriminalization, where advocates argue that certain offenses should be reclassified as noncrimes.
Permitted by statute
- licitSanctioned by law
- legitimateConforming to accepted standards
- constitutionalHealth-promoting walk
- statutoryEstablished by enacted law
authorized · sanctioned · codified · regulated · compliant · permitted · ratified · valid
Not harmful or threatening
- innocuousCausing no harm
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- minorScale with lowered third
- insignificantLacking importance or consequence
negligible · inconsequential · petty · mundane · everyday · routine · inoffensive · unobjectionable
Official clearing of blame
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- vindicationClearance of blame
- exculpationClearing from fault
- absolutionFormal clearing of guilt
clearance · blameless · faultless · alibi · defense · pardon · cleared · dismissed
Conforming to moral principles
- virtuousMorally excellent, principled
- principledHaving strong moral beliefs
- conscientiousScrupulously careful and thorough
- decentAcceptably good
honest · responsible · altruistic · benevolent · righteous · upright · honorable · protest
legal
Permitted by statute
- licitSanctioned by law
- legitimateConforming to accepted standards
- constitutionalHealth-promoting walk
statutory · authorized · sanctioned · codified · regulated · compliant · permitted · ratified · valid · enforceable
benign
Not harmful or threatening
insignificant · negligible · inconsequential · petty · mundane · everyday · routine · inoffensive · unobjectionable · victimless
exoneration
Official clearing of blame
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- vindicationClearance of blame
- exculpationClearing from fault
absolution · clearance · blameless · faultless · alibi · defense · pardon · cleared · dismissed · overturned
ethical
Conforming to moral principles
- virtuousMorally excellent, principled
- principledHaving strong moral beliefs
- conscientiousScrupulously careful and thorough
decent · honest · responsible · altruistic · benevolent · righteous · upright · honorable · protest · whistleblowing
noncrimescrimes
Unlawful acts
offenses · criminal acts · criminal offenses · felonies · misdemeanors