Idiom idiom
hanging offence
Meaning
A crime so serious that it is punishable by means of death by hanging.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“In the past, stealing a horse was considered a hanging offence.”
“The judge reminded the jury that treason was once a hanging offence in this country.”
“During the era of harsh penal codes, even minor acts of theft were treated as a hanging offence, leaving the populace in constant fear of the gallows.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026