noun · neutral
misdemeanor
UK/ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə/US/ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnər/mis·de·MEEN·or
a minor criminal offense, less serious than a felony
Examples
“Parking violations are often treated as misdemeanors rather than felonies.”
“He was charged with a misdemeanor and paid a fine.”
“Repeat misdemeanors can still affect a person's record.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although technically a misdemeanor, the cumulative effect of repeated infractions tarnished his employment prospects.”
Collocations
- petty misdemeanor
- charged with a misdemeanor
- classified as a misdemeanor
Word family
Common mistakes
use 'small crime' or 'minor crime' in formal writing→misdemeanor
confuse misdemeanor with felony without noting severity→misdemeanor
Say it for a higher band
5small crime→6minor offence→7+misdemeanor
Synonyms
minor offence
Easily confused
felony
“While theft can be a misdemeanor, large-scale fraud is typically charged as a felony.”
Related words
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In Crime & Law
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