infraction

noun in·frac·tion \ in-ˈfrak-shən \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: infraction in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of infraction

: the act of infringing : violation

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infract

play \in-ˈfrakt\ transitive verb

See infraction defined for English-language learners

See infraction defined for kids

Examples of infraction in a Sentence

speeding is only a minor infraction, but vehicular homicide is a serious felony

Recent Examples of infraction from the Web

The truck driver, identified as Eriberto Orozco, 30, was cited for several infractions, including driving an overweight vehicle, disobeying both a traffic control device and stop sign, and failure to slow down, the Scanner reports.

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "Town tried to protect old bridge with a landmark status. Then this truck came along," 29 June 2018
Police can still write tickets for some minor infractions, a downgrade from the old system that often meant criminal charges could be filed.

— Fortune, "Canada Is Now Just One Small Step From Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Nationwide," 20 June 2018
Woods and a 17-year-old juvenile from Salem are both charged with armed assault with intent to murder, among other infractions, in connection with the shooting of the victim, authorities said.

— travis andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Two suspects arraigned in brazen daylight attack on man in Dorchester," 22 May 2018
The Warriors were granted a point on a pre-serve infraction, however, and would proceed to score the next two points to win the set.

— josh criswell, latimes.com, "Newport Harbor boys' volleyball rallies to defeat Alemany in CIF quarterfinals," 13 May 2018
Craig earned a yellow card for the infraction, and -- worse yet -- allowed Ayoze to step to the spot and place his shot in the top left corner of the net.

— kevin johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Indy Eleven beat USL defending champs on Ayoze's penalty kick," 5 May 2018
The decision not to eat came on the heels of a lockdown in one wing of the prison, which officials said stemmed from an uptick in disciplinary infractions, including feces-throwing, contraband and assaults on staff and other inmates.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Huntsville prison hunger strike ‘essentially’ over, officials say," 20 Apr. 2018
Depending on the specifics of the infraction, athletes can lose eligibility; coaches can be barred from the sideline by show-cause penalties; and schools can be stripped of scholarships and even previous victories.

— alex putterman, The Atlantic, "The NCAA Is Facing a Crossroads," 22 Mar. 2018
To qualify, drivers need to have their licenses suspended for citations and infractions that took place in Broward County.

— rafael olmeda, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Suspended license? Clinic at Broward courthouse can help," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infraction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

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.