felony

American  

[fel-uh-nee] / ˈfɛl ə ni /

noun

Law.

plural

felonies

1. 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.

2. Early English Law. any crime punishable by death or mutilation and forfeiture of lands and goods.

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felony British  

/ ˈfɛlənɪ /

noun

1. (formerly) a serious crime, such as murder or arson. All distinctions between felony and misdemeanour were abolished in England and Wales in 1967

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felony Cultural  

1. A grave crime, such as murder, rape, or burglary, that is punishable by death (see capital offense) or imprisonment in a state or federal facility.

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Etymology

Origin of felony

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English felonie, from Anglo-French, Old French: “villainy”; equivalent to felon ¹ + -y ³

Example Sentences

In their statement, Glover’s lawyer offered a different take on the March 2024 incident, noting that the actor was “the victim of an unprovoked felony assault” by Doe.

From Los Angeles Times

"After today's decision, justice must, without distraction, investigate the involvement of third parties in felony offenses," said Zacharias Kesses, a lawyer for victims of the Predator affair.

From BBC

Menkem pointed out that under Cameroonian law, the minimum sentence for felonies such as murder and arson is 10 years.

From BBC

Amy Knox, the former chief operating officer of Harm Reduction-SD, was charged with three felony counts of misappropriating public money and three felony counts of embezzlement.

From Los Angeles Times

In California, offenders convicted of a violent felony can only earn credits for up to 15% of their sentence length.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• arson
• assault
• burglary
• murder
• offense
• rape
• robbery
• violation
• wrongdoing