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In US law, a felony is typically defined as a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than one year or by the death penalty. Misdemeanors, in contrast, are often defined as offenses punishable only by fines or by short terms of imprisonment in local jails. Originally, in English law, a felony was a crime for which the perpetrator would suffer forfeiture of all real and personal property as well as whatever sentence was imposed. Under US law, there is no forfeiture of all of the felon’s property, and it is not part of the definition. For certain crimes, however, such as some kinds of racketeering, specific property is subject to forfeiture.
Examples of felony in a Sentence
Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2024
He was wanted for possession of a firearm by a felon and felony flee to elude, two counts, out of Lincoln County, CMPD said.
—Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 30 Apr. 2024
This violates the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which requires a felony charge to be spelled out in an indictment whose criminal elements have been established by probable cause to the satisfaction of ...
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 30 Apr. 2024
Hinton pleaded guilty in July to making terrorist threats, a Class I felony.
—Chris Ramirez, Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2024
The charges against Trump are all Class E felonies, the least severe felony category in New York.
—Jonah E. Bromwich, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
The judge, however, refused to toss four felony charges against Falaschi, and the case remains active pending the outcome of the federal proceedings.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2024
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2024
The spa’s owner pleaded guilty in 2022 to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license, the health department said last year.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'felony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near felony
Cite this Entry
“Felony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/felony. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
felony
noun
Legal Definition
felony
noun
Note: Originally in English law a felony was a crime for which the perpetrator would suffer forfeiture of all real and personal property as well as whatever sentence was imposed. Under U.S. law, there is no forfeiture of all of the felon's property (real or personal) and such forfeiture is not part of the definition of a felony. For certain crimes, however (as for a conviction under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act or a narcotics law), specific property, such as that used in or gained by the crime, is subject to forfeiture. Every state has its own statutory definition of a felony. Most are in line with the federal definition of a felony as a crime which carries a sentence of imprisonment for more than one year or the death penalty (where applicable). Other states, like Louisiana, define a felony as a crime which carries a sentence of death or imprisonment at hard labor.
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