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Synonyms

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.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rule No. 2: Breaking Medicaid rules can be charged as a felony.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

So was it the emergence of the video or the possibility of a felony conviction that caused ABC to put this season of “The Bachelorette” on ice?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

"If you're asking me, there's absolutely no way I would cast someone who has... a felony hanging over her head, no matter how popular she is."

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Paul Regan pleaded guilty to three felony charges of securities fraud following a series of Wall Street Journal articles in 2024 on the international financier and his mysterious high-yield investment offerings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

“A felony, my! Does that mean jail, Tag?”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Definitions 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.