mis·de·mean·or

[mis-di-mee-ner]
noun
1.
Law. a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.
2.
an instance of misbehavior; misdeed.
Also, especially British, mis·de·mean·our.


Origin:
1480–90; mis-1 + demeanor

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
misdemeanour or (US) misdemeanor (ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  criminal law Compare felony (formerly) an offence generally less heinous than a felony and which until 1967 involved a different form of trial
2.  any minor offence or transgression
 
misdemeanor or (US) misdemeanor
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Misdemeanor is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

misdemeanor
also misdemeanour, "legal class of indictable offenses," late 15c.; from mis- (1) "wrong" + M.E. demenure (see demeanor). Related: Misdemeanors; misdemeanours.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
misdemeanor [(mis-di-mee-nuhr)]

A minor crime, punishable by a fine or a light jail term. Common misdemeanors, such as traffic violations, are usually dealt with informally, without a trial. (Compare felony.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The misdemeanor case was thrown out.
The next month he pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor.
Plenty of otherwise normal people have background issues, including misdemeanor
  and felony convictions.
She is charged with obtaining food or lodging with intent to defraud, a second
  degree misdemeanor.
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