felony

American  

[fel-uh-nee] / ˈfɛl ə ni /

noun

Law.

• felonies
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• felonies
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

felony felonies

Reaching for a petal with a look of immense self-loathing, as if committing a felony.

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

Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman agreed to dismiss the criminal case against David Hearn with prejudice on Thursday, prohibiting the federal government from reviving the felony charge against him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Orange County held what’s considered the first e-bike buyback—and started filing felony charges against parents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

As a result, judges are not required to inform criminal defendants of some of the most important rights they are forfeiting when they plead guilty to a felony.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

The four bills would turn some misdemeanor offenses into felonies, increase the time of license suspensions for some offenders, and make it possible for repeat DUI drivers to face more serious charges, including murder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Federal prosecutors in 2023 brought the largest “diesel tampering” case in history, flinging around felonies and landing $1.8 million in fines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

When the state’s three-strikes law still imposed mandatory life sentences on anyone with two or more prior convictions for violent felonies, California needed places like Susanville to put its skyrocketing prison population.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

“I hope you note in your article that the district attorney could have brought 122 felony charges, or 122 misdemeanors, or some combination of felonies and misdemeanors up to 122,” Hochman said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

People who have been convicted of felonies almost never truly re-enter the society they inhabited prior to their conviction.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

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Related Words

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

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