misdemeanor

[ mis-di-mee-ner ]
/ ˌmɪs dɪˈmi nər /

noun

Law. a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.
an instance of misbehavior; misdeed.
Also especially British, mis·de·mean·our.

Origin of misdemeanor

First recorded in 1480–90; mis-1 + demeanor

Words nearby misdemeanor

misdeal, misdeed, misdeem, misdemean, misdemeanant, misdemeanor, misdemeanour, misderive, misdescribe, misdiagnose, misdiagnosis

Example sentences from the Web for misdemeanour

British Dictionary definitions for misdemeanour

misdemeanour

US misdemeanor

/ (ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə) /

noun

criminal law (formerly) an offence generally less heinous than a felony and which until 1967 involved a different form of trial Compare felony
any minor offence or transgression

Cultural definitions for misdemeanour

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.)