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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
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Dec. 2025
Other prisoners have not had a discipline record or a violent or escape-related infraction in over a decade.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
It was cited by health inspectors in April for a litany of health violations, including not storing its sweet cream at a temperature of 41 degrees or lower, and not prepping its ingredients in a commissary, a common infraction among trucks.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 22 Dec. 2025
After that, infractions can start at $25 and incrementally increase to $250 following multiple convictions.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 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 28 Dec. 2025.
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infraction
noun
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