as in crimes
law
a criminal act that is less serious than a felony
He was charged with committing a misdemeanor. a misdemeanor traffic violation
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Recent Examples of misdemeanors
Police arrest a 27-year-old man Gusmane Coulibaly, 27, was arrested Thursday morning and initially charged with assault on a police officer, a felony, and obstruction of government administration and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.
—
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The proposal would mandate harsher penalties for crimes motivated by political bias, including some misdemeanors.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Mar. 2026
New York’s law, which initially eliminated cash bail for misdemeanors and low-level felonies, has been scaled back multiple times to grant judges more discretion.
—Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch, 2 Mar. 2026
He was arrested and book on suspicion of felony home invasion and two other misdemeanors.
—Ava Kelley, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
Of the 380,000 convictions that were never reported, about 147,000 involved felonies and 233,000 were misdemeanors, according to the court.
—City News Service, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Former Plantation Mayor Lynn Stoner was sentenced Tuesday to one year of probation after pleading no contest to charges of official misconduct and two related misdemeanors.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
He was charged with three counts of battery, one count of strangulation and three misdemeanors.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said the pleas came after Judge Deborah Ryan approved a deal to reduce the original felony vandalism and conspiracy charges to misdemeanors under an agreement reached late last year.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
The proposal would mandate harsher penalties for crimes motivated by political bias, including some misdemeanors.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Mar. 2026
New York’s law, which initially eliminated cash bail for misdemeanors and low-level felonies, has been scaled back multiple times to grant judges more discretion.
—Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch, 2 Mar. 2026
He was arrested and book on suspicion of felony home invasion and two other misdemeanors.
—Ava Kelley, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026
Of the 380,000 convictions that were never reported, about 147,000 involved felonies and 233,000 were misdemeanors, according to the court.
—City News Service, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Former Plantation Mayor Lynn Stoner was sentenced Tuesday to one year of probation after pleading no contest to charges of official misconduct and two related misdemeanors.
—Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
He was charged with three counts of battery, one count of strangulation and three misdemeanors.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said the pleas came after Judge Deborah Ryan approved a deal to reduce the original felony vandalism and conspiracy charges to misdemeanors under an agreement reached late last year.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misdemeanors
Noun
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Prosecutors said Serafini’s crimes were driven by anger and financial distress.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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During his testimony, Bill Clinton denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes, and he was described as being largely relaxed while answering questions.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Emails alleging violations started arriving to City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos before the semifinals.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Cavin’s letter then went on to specify the precise regulatory violations to be cited in such a complaint.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The pattern of trespasses at Mar-a-Lago culminated in a dramatic security incident on Sunday, when an armed man carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can breached the perimeter.—
WPEC Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Feb. 2026
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These seem like minor trespasses, but when no one feels comfortable telling the truth, the influence such behavior has on the 12-year-old Janna becomes concerning.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misdemeanors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misdemeanors. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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