misdemeanor
Law. a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.
an instance of misbehavior; misdeed.
Origin of misdemeanor
1- Also especially British, mis·de·mean·our .
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use misdemeanor in a sentence
And now all this atmosphere of quiet sociableness was about to be destroyed through the paltry misdemeanours of a subfuse cat.
As no positive law against libels existed, they fell under the indefinite class of misdemeanours.
Thoughts on the Present Discontents | Edmund BurkeThese misdemeanours, in the face of civil society, Robert made no mention of in his letters to Percy.
Rhoda Fleming, Complete | George MeredithAfter that he was let rest, and we returned to the misdemeanours of men, in and out of khaki, whose turns had not yet come.
The Siege of Kimberley | T. PhelanFelony, in law, includes generally all crimes below treason and of greater gravity than misdemeanours.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia | Various
Cultural definitions for 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 New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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