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.

Examples of misdemeanor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Laube pleaded guilty last year to a misdemeanor charge for repeatedly punching a journalist — identified only as F.T. — who was covering the Huntington Beach rally. —Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

In June 2021, Bell, who is now 37, pleaded guilty to child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024

The actor is also facing a misdemeanor charge of a hit-and-run and property damage. —USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024

The actor has two previous arrests on his record, as he was charged with fourth-degree felony assault in August and pled guilty to two domestic violence misdemeanor charges in 2021. —Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024

One was set at $21,000 for seven felony charges, the other was set at $17,000 for four felony, and three misdemeanor charges. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2024

The Enquirer is not naming the man at this time because he is charged with misdemeanors. —The Enquirer, 26 Mar. 2024

But after nearly 120 years, a law against adultery — a misdemeanor in New York — could be scratched off the books. —Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024

Russell was charged with two misdemeanors: falsely reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024

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