felon
1
[ fel-uh n ]
/ ˈfɛl ən /
noun
Law.
a person who has committed a felony.
Archaic.
a wicked person.
adjective
Archaic.
wicked; malicious; treacherous.
Origin of felon
1
1250–1300; Middle English
fel(o)un “wicked, wicked person, evildoer,” from Old French
fel (nominative),
felun (oblique) “wicked person, traitor,” from Medieval Latin
fellon-, stem of
fello “villain, evildoer”; ultimate etymology uncertain
usage note for felon
Once a person is no longer engaged in crime we can say "He's a former criminal." And once a person is no longer incarcerated, we can say "She's an ex-convict." Though both statements carry a stigma, they leave open the possibility that the people in question have changed their behavior. But this does not seem to be the case with the term
felon , which appears to have no time limit. Once a person has been convicted of a felony, he or she can be considered a felon for life, according to the strict meaning of the word. (The term
ex-felon , for example, is rarely used.) Advocates for the reform of our criminal justice system point out that this usage makes it even harder for rehabilitated former criminals to reintegrate into society and thereby turn away from a life of crime.
Words nearby felon
fellowman,
fellowship,
felly,
felo de se,
felo-de-se,
felon,
felonious,
felonry,
felony,
felony murder,
felsic
Definition for felon (2 of 2)
felon
2
[ fel-uh n ]
/ ˈfɛl ən /
noun
an acute and painful inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, usually near the nail: a form of whitlow.
Origin of felon
2
1375–1425; late Middle English
felo(u)n < Medieval Latin
fellōn- (stem of
fellō) scrofulous tumor, of uncertain origin
Example sentences from the Web for felon
British Dictionary definitions for felon (1 of 2)
felon
1
/ (ˈfɛlən) /
noun
criminal law
(formerly) a person who has committed a felony
obsolete
a wicked person
adjective
archaic, or poetic
evil; cruel
Word Origin for felon
C13: from Old French: villain, from Medieval Latin
fellō, of uncertain origin
British Dictionary definitions for felon (2 of 2)
felon
2
/ (ˈfɛlən) /
noun
a purulent inflammation of the end joint of a finger, sometimes affecting the bone
Word Origin for felon
C12: from Medieval Latin
fellō sore, perhaps from Latin
fel poison
Medical definitions for felon
felon
[ fĕl′ən ]
n.
A purulent infection or abscess involving the bulbous distal end of a finger.
whitlow