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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
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2025
Since that time, the Plaza has undergone cosmetic upgrades and a significant increase in security, having hired armed security guards who now have the authority to the hold and detain individuals suspected of crimes and infractions.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Crossing the border or overstaying a visa and being undocumented in the United States generally is a civil infraction, not a criminal one.
—Priscilla Alvarez, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Among the few who had been, most were guilty of nonviolent offenses, such as retail theft or traffic infractions.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 2025.
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infraction
noun
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