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:
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the restraint law in July 2020, making officers’ use of a chokehold or chest compression a misdemeanor crime punishable by up to a year in prison.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Now, after White House outreach, Justice Department officials are exploring whether another type of case against Hearn—likely based on misdemeanor allegations—is even possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The woman alleged that the deputy falsified a break-in report just to visit her home, and he later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, according to a civil lawsuit and court records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
Within days, Pirro’s office also moved to drop misdemeanor charges against three more people accused of the same phantom vandalism.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Know something? Fella camped here, kind of a nut. So I came to kick him off. He said something funny. He says, ‘Trespassing ain’t a crime and ain’t a misdemeanor.’
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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
Such charges are often treated as misdemeanors rather than felonies, meaning lighter sentences if convicted.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
After handling general felonies and misdemeanors in the adult criminal and juvenile courts, he was assigned in 2022 to the Mental Health Division.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
Under the commission’s proposal, an appointed city attorney would take over the civil litigation duties, while an elected city prosecutor would handle the misdemeanors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
He looked at Basta as he said this, and Basta bowed his head as if all the misdemeanors of the last few days weighed heavily on him.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
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.
