as in criminals
a person who has committed a serious crime
The convicted felon wanted to make amends after his release from jail.
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Recent Examples of felons
Four people voted despite being felons, one voted twice, and one, only one, voted despite being a non-citizen.
—
Adriana E. Ramírez, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
They also were charged with being felons in possession of a weapon.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Lawsuits help felons get their guns back A majority of the 22 individuals named in February by the attorney general had their rights restored after applying for full pardons at the department.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Of those arrested, 105 were convicted felons, and 61 were documented gang members.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Again, the outcome could easily have been different if voting rights for former felons were a given.
—Kevin B. Smith, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
But as legacy media recedes, a growing cohort of famous felons are leveraging new media to rehab their images.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Even for felons, who’ve received a huge number of pardons over the past year.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The Wisconsin Constitution bars convicted felons from holding public office.
—Todd Richmond, Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2025
Adriana E. Ramírez, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
They also were charged with being felons in possession of a weapon.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Lawsuits help felons get their guns back A majority of the 22 individuals named in February by the attorney general had their rights restored after applying for full pardons at the department.
—Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Of those arrested, 105 were convicted felons, and 61 were documented gang members.
—CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Again, the outcome could easily have been different if voting rights for former felons were a given.
—Kevin B. Smith, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
But as legacy media recedes, a growing cohort of famous felons are leveraging new media to rehab their images.
—Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Even for felons, who’ve received a huge number of pardons over the past year.
—Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The Wisconsin Constitution bars convicted felons from holding public office.
—Todd Richmond, Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felons
Noun
-
Göring, played by Russell Crowe, is the troubling centerpiece of James Vanderbilt’s ambitious film devoted to the trial of the major Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg in 1945–1946.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Also included is a 13% increase in funding for the Department of Justice to focus on violent criminals and a $481 million increase in funding to enhance aviation safety and support an air traffic controller hiring surge.—
LISA MASCARO,
Arkansas Online,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Holmes qualified for the reduced term under a 2023 rule change allowing first-time offenders to do less time for some non-violent crimes, according to an order issued Thursday by the federal judge who sentenced her in 2022 for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
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And many Democrats see it as an effort to curb more liberal prosecutors who have embraced restorative justice policies, including steering nonviolent offenders away from prison sentences or taking more lax approaches to drug offenses.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Felons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felons. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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