felony
Americannoun
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felonies
plural
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an offense, as murder or burglary, of graver character than those called misdemeanors, especially those commonly punished in the U.S. by imprisonment for more than a year.
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Early English Law. any crime punishable by death or mutilation and forfeiture of lands and goods.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of felony
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English felonie, from Anglo-French, Old French: “villainy”; equivalent to felon 1 + -y 3
Explanation
A felony is a serious crime, like murder, arson, or burglary. Fashion critics may think that wearing white shoes after Labor Day is a felony, but it isn’t really. A felony is sometimes called a "high crime" because it's so serious. A felony differs from a misdemeanor in the amount of punishment someone gets when convicted. In the United States, a felony is a crime that has a sentence of more than a year in prison. A year or less in jail means the crime is just a misdemeanor. If you're convicted of a felony, even after you serve your time you may be denied certain rights and privileges.
Vocabulary lists containing felony
Monster
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Speak
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Michael Ray Gonzales, 40, of Pico Rivera was charged with seven counts of felony vandalism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“At this juncture,” he said, “I will respectfully refrain from engaging in speculation as to the prosecution’s reasons or motives for their decision to dismiss the felony case against Mr. Lopez.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
On Monday, a judge approved Xu’s petition to have his felony charge dismissed following the completion of his probation earlier this year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
On Aug. 18, the day after prosecutors officially filed their case in court, Paul Robinson, who faces charges of felony tampering and concealing evidence, made a plea on Facebook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Any of the four would lose his job if convicted of a felony, he said.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
He now is stationed in the Torrance branch, where he handles serious felonies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
County district attorney’s office in 2015 and has handled misdemeanors, felonies and domestic violence cases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Prosecutors last year charged Owens with 14 felonies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Hochman for weeks has faced intense public anger over his initial decision to charge Flores with 16 felonies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Restorative justice is sometimes used in Alameda County as an alternative to criminal court for juveniles accused of felonies, a process known as diversion because the accused is diverted away from criminal court.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
