misdemeanor

noun

mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər 

1

: a crime less serious than a felony (see felony sense 2)

defacing school property is a misdemeanor

—Jessica Portner

2

: misdeed

Student misdemeanors will not go unpunished.

Did you know?

What is meant by 'crimes and misdemeanors'?

Misdemeanor comes from demeanor, which means “behavior toward others” or “outward manner” (as in “his quiet demeanor”), itself derived from the verb demean, which means “to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner”—not to be confused with the other and much more common verb demean that means “to lower in character, status, or reputation” (as in “I won’t demean myself by working for so little money”). These two verbs are spelled the same way but come from different roots.

Therefore, misdemeanor literally means “bad behavior toward others.” This led to parallel usage as both general bad behavior and legal bad behavior. In American law, a misdemeanor is “a crime less serious than a felony.” A felony is defined as “a federal crime for which the punishment may be death or imprisonment for more than a year.” As misdemeanor became more specific, crime became the more general term for any legal offense.

The phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors,” found in Article Two, Section 4 of the Constitution, has been used in English law since the 14th century, as have other fixed phrases using synonymous terms, such as “rules and regulations” and “emoluments and salaries.” It can be very difficult to distinguish between any of these pairs of words, and their frequent use together renders them less technical in today’s highly specific legal vocabulary. “High crimes” are serious crimes committed by those with some office or rank, and was used in the language describing impeachment proceedings of members of the British Parliament in the 18th century.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The jury was divided on two additional misdemeanor counts of assault and battery. —Annie Vainshtein, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 May 2023

An active-duty Marine who entered the Capitol with two of his colleagues from the Quantico Marine Corps Base on Jan. 6, 2021, and then spent more than 50 minutes wandering through the building, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor count of illegally parading or demonstrating in the Capitol. —Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 17 May 2023

Shortly after, he was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment, according to PEOPLE obtained documents from the Manhattan District Attorney's office. —Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 15 May 2023

Prior to the draft, the defensive lineman pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of racing and reckless driving. —Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY, 10 May 2023

Taylor is charged with a felony count of child neglect and a misdemeanor count of recklessly leaving a firearm as to endanger a child, prosecutors said. —Mark Guarino, ABC News, 10 May 2023

Majors, appearing by video, did not enter a plea to the misdemeanor assault charge and said little else at the arraignment, which lasted all of three minutes. —Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 9 May 2023

One item not being singled out for removal is a provision to bar anyone convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense from possessing a gun — an item that Democrats have pushed for since at least 2021. —Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 2 May 2023

Once a candidate to be the top pick, Carter pleaded no contest in March to two misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing in a January car crash that killed two people, including a Georgia teammate. —Mike Tanier, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

misdemeanor

noun

mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər 

1

: a crime less serious than a felony

2

: misdeed

Legal Definition

misdemeanor

noun

mis·​de·​mean·​or ˌmis-di-ˈmē-nər 

: a crime that carries a less severe punishment than a felony

specifically : a crime punishable by a fine and by a term of imprisonment not to be served in a penitentiary and not to exceed one year compare felony