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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
Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
He was charged with an infraction disorderly conduct, and threat of violence and suspicion of criminal trespassing, both Class B misdemeanors in Utah.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 4 Nov. 2025
Jailhouse records show that Smith was disciplined at least five times between 2010 and 2017 for infractions including self-mutilation, drug use and possession of narcotics or marijuana.
—Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2025.
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infraction
noun
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