expression, godan verb (-su)
commit a crime; commit a sin
Used for both legal crimes and moral/religious sins. The object 罪 can be modified by adjectives to specify the type of crime or sin.
彼は若い頃に罪を犯した。
He committed a crime when he was young.
嘘をつくことも罪を犯すことだ。
Telling a lie is also committing a sin.