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:
A 31-year-old Honduran man landed on authorities’ radar after he disrupted immigration officers during a February protest in Camarillo, Calif., a misdemeanor citation to which he pleaded guilty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
He hadn’t committed a big crime, just some silly misdemeanor.
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
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
Nelson pleaded not guilty to a pair of misdemeanors in connection with the altercation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
George Gascón, who eliminated cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and championed rehabilitation over punitive sentencing.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
