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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
Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
All four of the infractions that were taken on Monday were stick penalties, which often suggest the perpetrator is behind the play.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 30 Dec. 2025
Officers found to have intentionally broken the law will face an infraction or a misdemeanor.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Jones jumped across the line and was flagged for a neutral-zone infraction, a five-yard penalty that gave Denver a first down.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Dec. 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 7 Jan. 2026.
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infraction
noun
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