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An infraction is usually the breaking of a law, rule, or agreement. So a nation charged with an infraction of an international treaty will usually have to pay a penalty. In Federal law, an infraction is even smaller than a misdemeanor, and the only penalty is a fine. Most of us occasionally commit infractions of parking laws and get ticketed; speeding tickets are usually for infractions as well, though they go on a permanent record and can end up costing you money for years to come. The closely related word infringement generally refers to a violation of a right or privilege; use of another's writings without permission, for example, may be an infringement of the copyright.
Examples of infraction in a Sentence
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday called for a sweeping overhaul of how the military handles allegations of hazing and other types of abuse, insisting that the military had grown too soft and promising to expunge the records of tough leaders with past infractions.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
However, many Americans have been critical of his immigration policy as individuals with misdemeanors, decades-old infractions or in some cases no criminal records at all have been swept up in the heightened enforcement.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Department requirements Each department that produces administrative citations will be required to report back to the city council annually on how many were issued, the types of infractions and how the money was spent.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for infraction
Cite this Entry
“Infraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infraction. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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infraction
noun
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