Latin

Participle

dēlitō

1. dative masculine singular of dēlitus
2. dative neuter singular of dēlitus
3. ablative masculine singular of dēlitus
4. ablative neuter singular of dēlitus

Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin dēlictum.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /dɨ.ˈli.tu/
• Hyphenation: de‧li‧to

Noun

delito m (plural delitos)

1. crime; offense

Synonyms

• crime

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin delictum

Noun

delito m ‎(plural delitos)

1. crime; offense

Synonyms

• crimen m

Related terms

• delincuente
• delincuencia
• delinquir

Usage notes

• Delito is a false friend, and does not mean delight. Spanish equivalents are shown in the "Translations" section of the English entry delight.

• Regarding the "synonym" crimen:

“The words ‘crime’ in English and ‘crimen’ in Spanish are examples of false cognates with important implications in the context of criminal law. The words sound the same but mean different things. In Spanish, crimen refers to more ‘serious criminal transgressions, usually penalized by the death sentence or long prison terms.’ Crimen means ‘delito muy grave, consistente en matar o herir gravemente a alguien’ [very serious crime, consisting of killing or seriously injuring another], whereas in English ‘crime’ refers to felonies and misdemeanors. Thus, ‘crime’ in English is better translated as ‘delito,’ meaning any violation of the law — from misdemeanor to murder. The word ‘criminal’ in English should not be interpreted as ‘criminal’ in Spanish, which means ‘murderer.’ ”

(from “Court Interpreting: Linguistic Presence v. Linguistic Absence,” by Elena M. de Jongh, in The Florida Bar Journal, July/August 2008, Volume 82, No. 7. Online at )