misdemeanor

[ mis-di-mee-ner ]
See synonyms for: misdemeanormisdemeanors on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Law. a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.

  2. an instance of misbehavior; misdeed.

Origin of misdemeanor

1
First recorded in 1480–90; mis-1 + demeanor
  • Also especially British, mis·de·mean·our .

Words Nearby misdemeanor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use misdemeanor in a sentence

Cultural definitions for misdemeanor

misdemeanor

[ (mis-di-mee-nuhr) ]


A minor crime, punishable by a fine or a light jail term. Common misdemeanors, such as traffic violations, are usually dealt with informally, without a trial. (Compare felony.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.