infraction
Americannoun
-
breach; violation; infringement.
an infraction of the rules.
-
Medicine/Medical. an incomplete fracture of a bone.
Related Words
See breach.
Other Word Forms
- noninfraction noun
Etymology
Origin of infraction
First recorded in 1615–25, infraction is from the Latin word infrāctiōn- (stem of infrāctiō ). See infract, -ion
Explanation
When you break school rules about gum chewing, you commit an infraction. An infraction is a petty crime or a minor breaking of rules. When you think of the word infraction, think that your offence has just crossed the line into wrong. Something like a parking ticket is an infraction. When you commit an infraction, you're not knee deep in wrong, you've just dipped your toe into wrong to see what it feels like. A misdemeanor is a more serious crime such as theft, and murder is considered a felony, the most serious of crimes.
Vocabulary lists containing infraction
The Giver
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Give Me a Break!: Fract and Frag
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Tangerine
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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.
And without an umpire watching closely — or without video evidence — that kind of infraction can be difficult to spot.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
When they were flagged for defensive pass interference against Oregon on Friday night, it marked only their third such infraction this season—in their 15th game.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Giving the attacking team an almost guaranteed goal for something can be a really minor infraction by the defender is wildly disproportionate.
From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025
It’s also difficult to imagine how bad, and perhaps how lethal, an infraction by Hegseth would have to be for him to be canned.
From Salon • Aug. 2, 2025
Someone made a long speech listing every infraction of the rules we were committing that night.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
