infraction
Americannoun
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infractions
plural
-
breach; violation; infringement.
an infraction of the rules.
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Medicine/Medical. an incomplete fracture of a bone.
Synonym Usage
See breach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
He pleaded not guilty, and the infraction was dismissed in 2024, court records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
He was additionally charged with the infraction of making an unlawful turn, according to Napa County Dist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Maradona scored two goals that day: one with his fist, an infraction that was missed by the referee, and another by dancing past five English defenders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
But Mr. Trump called on his experience as a TV sports viewer to declare that he didn’t think Mr. Balogun’s infraction “was a foul” at all, and “I’m good at this stuff.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
I was proud of my discovery and asked a senior officer on the gallery how to dispose of it and what infraction number to place on the Misbehavior Report.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Those caught breaking the law face fixed penalty notices of £200 for a minor breach and criminal prosecution for more serious infractions.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
And EPA data shows that its pattern of reported infractions has continued in recent years.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
The federal investigators encountered puddles of crude oil on the facility grounds, as well as caustic fumes emanating from the facility, resulting in violations for air quality and other environmental infractions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
What if they acknowledge the president can fire for cause, but simply argue that infractions must occur when a governor is in office?
From Barron's ● Jan. 13, 2026
“Miss Genovese gave you five infractions. Miss Genovese ran out of infractions to give you so instead she just hung a sandwich board of shame around your neck for your entire shift.”
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
