misdemeanor
Americannoun
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misdemeanors
plural
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Law. a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.
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an instance of misbehavior; misdeed.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of misdemeanor
Explanation
A misdemeanor is a minor offense, rather than a serious crime. A minor infraction like keeping a library book for years or stealing a pack of bubblegum would be considered a misdemeanor. A crime like murder is serious, a felony that can land the person who commits it in jail for a long time. A misdemeanor, on the other hand, is a far less serious offense. Commit a misdemeanor such as petty theft, and you might not get more than a slap on the wrist.
Vocabulary lists containing misdemeanor
The Constitution of the United States
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Dear Martin
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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:
Sellers in violation could face misdemeanor charges and penalties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
But Keno runs instinctively: An ungrateful graduate of the foster-care system, he’s lived mostly on the streets and avoids trouble, except for all those misdemeanor violations Riley knows about.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
In addition to 78 misdemeanor arrests, Leary said police impounded two vehicles whose drivers were “aiding and abetting.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The judge said at the time that if he completed the terms of his probation, he could reduce the felony conviction to a misdemeanor and have both charges expunged from his record.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
And so, Gordon, the intern, settled on negligent homicide, the toughest misdemeanor penalty, arguing that the two charges for reckless behavior are not “harsh enough to do justice to the outcome of the accident.”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
The eight men charged with misdemeanors have hearings scheduled for Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The city attorney also prosecutes misdemeanors — a job most other cities keep separate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
In addition to Hearn, the government charged three other people—Cameron Thiers, Sophie Dennison-Gibby and Justin Carreno—with misdemeanors for allegedly damaging the reflecting pool.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Some in law enforcement love it because they can arrest folks on serious charges that, before the new laws, would have been misdemeanors that many felt weren’t worth the paperwork.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
No crime of commission was ever attributed to him, and his crimes of omission were only misdemeanors.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
