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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
Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Landlords are fined for infractions: as little as twenty-five dollars for a first offense, and up to three hundred dollars for subsequent offenses.
—Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
The Department of Justice announced Friday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will reinstate the immigration records of international students whose student visa data had been abruptly terminated, often due to minor or dismissed legal infractions.
—Nik Popli, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Many have no criminal records, and some were reportedly targeted over minor infractions like traffic tickets.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 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 9 May. 2025.
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infraction
noun
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