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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
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Prosecutors dropped two boating infractions against George Pino, the Doral real estate broker who rammed his boat into a channel marker — killing a 17-year-old girl in 2022 — as Pino’s trial for the girl’s death approaches.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
This pervasive tendency to lean into the performance advantages of modern powertrains and driver aids is sending the wrong message, IIHS argues, which may actually contribute to aggressive driving and, ultimately, to more-frequent crashes and speeding infractions.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 14 May 2026
Mejer also faces misdemeanor counts of contributing to delinquency and providing false information to a peace officer, and an infraction for permitting an unlicensed minor to drive a motor vehicle.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for infraction
Cite this Entry
“Infraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infraction. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
infraction
noun
