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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.
Synonyms
Examples of infraction in a Sentence
Ariel Gilreath, USA TODAY, 2 Apr. 2024
And the small crimes — even the mere infractions — lead to more serious things.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024
In a perfect world, the shop owner would hold the child accountable, but also let the infraction go and move on.
—Meghan Leahy, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
Even so, a $40 or $41 late fee for a second infraction within six months or so, by anyone's guess, is a great deal of money to most people.
—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
One of his mother’s boyfriends beat her in front of her children and hit Coleman and his brother for small infractions, such as chewing food too loudly.
—Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Many agencies allow officers to chase at high-speed for any infraction, no matter how minor.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2024
His publicist at the time would not comment on whether the traffic infractions and exposure may have sullied Diddy on Miami Beach.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2024
But at a time when much of the journalism industry faces steep budget cuts, many newsrooms no longer have the resources and staffing to catch every infraction, Keith said.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infraction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near infraction
Cite this Entry
“Infraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infraction. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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infraction
noun
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