misdemeanor

noun

mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər How to pronounce misdemeanor (audio)
1
: a crime less serious than a felony (see felony sense 2)
defacing school property is a misdemeanorJessica Portner
2
: misdeed
Student misdemeanors will not go unpunished.

Did you know?

What is meant by 'crimes and misdemeanors'?

Misdemeanor comes from demeanor, which means “behavior toward others” or “outward manner” (as in “his quiet demeanor”), itself derived from the verb demean, which means “to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner”—not to be confused with the other and much more common verb demean that means “to lower in character, status, or reputation” (as in “I won’t demean myself by working for so little money”). These two verbs are spelled the same way but come from different roots.

Therefore, misdemeanor literally means “bad behavior toward others.” This led to parallel usage as both general bad behavior and legal bad behavior. In American law, a misdemeanor is “a crime less serious than a felony.” A felony is defined as “a federal crime for which the punishment may be death or imprisonment for more than a year.” As misdemeanor became more specific, crime became the more general term for any legal offense.

The phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors,” found in Article Two, Section 4 of the Constitution, has been used in English law since the 14th century, as have other fixed phrases using synonymous terms, such as “rules and regulations” and “emoluments and salaries.” It can be very difficult to distinguish between any of these pairs of words, and their frequent use together renders them less technical in today’s highly specific legal vocabulary. “High crimes” are serious crimes committed by those with some office or rank, and was used in the language describing impeachment proceedings of members of the British Parliament in the 18th century.

Examples of misdemeanor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But after nearly 120 years, a law against adultery — a misdemeanor in New York — could be scratched off the books. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Russell was charged with two misdemeanors: falsely reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 Alan Weir, 50, pleaded no contest Wednesday to willful neglect of duty, a one-year misdemeanor, and was sentenced to one year of probation, with a review set for March 20, 2025, according to online records in 42-2 District Court in New Baltimore. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024 Both counts are misdemeanors, and she has not yet been arraigned, court records show. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024 County prosecutors initially charged him with two misdemeanors, but dropped the case in August. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Carlee Russell was charged with two misdemeanors for making false statements to police in July. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 21 Mar. 2024 He was later medically cleared and was then transported and booked into the Waukesha County Jail based on multiple felony and misdemeanor charge recommendations. Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2024 Authorities arrested Reed in 2023 on a charge of keeping a gambling house, a Class D felony later reduced to four misdemeanor charges, according to court records. Danny Shameer, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misdemeanor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdemeanor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near misdemeanor

Cite this Entry

“Misdemeanor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdemeanor. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misdemeanor

noun
mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər How to pronounce misdemeanor (audio)
1
: a crime less serious than a felony
2

Legal Definition

misdemeanor

noun
mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər How to pronounce misdemeanor (audio)
: a crime that carries a less severe punishment than a felony
specifically : a crime punishable by a fine and by a term of imprisonment not to be served in a penitentiary and not to exceed one year compare felony
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!