Infract Definition & Meaning

Did you know?

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

speeding is only a minor infraction, but vehicular homicide is a serious felony

Recent Examples on the Web Mahsa Amini was detained by Iran’s morality police for an alleged infraction of edicts that require the full covering of women’s hair with a hijab, or headscarf, in public. — Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2022 Brugman said everything clicked against Colorado — with the exception of Douglas Costa taking a silly red card in the 62nd minute for an infraction that could lead to a longer suspension. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2022 Wynn and right guard Michael Onwenu both committed false starts — and right tackle Trent Brown also had an incredibly obvious infraction that went unnoticed by the officials, much to the chagrin of the home crowd. — Nicole Yang, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2022 Granite School District, the state’s third-largest school system, typically reports an infraction every few years for its elementary and junior high schools, said Granite spokesperson Ben Horsley. — Jordan Miller, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 She was found at fault for the collision and issued an infraction for following too closely, police said. — Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 1 Sep. 2022 Those who violate the ordinance face an infraction or citation. — Landon Mion, Fox News, 3 Aug. 2022 Police declined to answer questions about who the officers involved were, why and when the woman was stopped, whether she was cited for an infraction and whether the officers had been placed on administrative leave. — Morgan Krakow, Anchorage Daily News, 13 July 2022 If law enforcement pulls a truck over for an infraction, there needs to be a way to interact with the officer. — Steve Banker, Forbes, 10 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infraction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.