misdemeanor
gb/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/ us/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
legal
C1
entity
1
Minor crime less serious than a felony
A less serious crime than a felony.
Usage pattern:
[a] misdemeanor; charged with [a] misdemeanor; convicted of [a] misdemeanor
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse a misdemeanor (a crime) with a civil violation (not a crime) or assume it always means “minor” in every legal system.
Synonyms
minor offense (General term; not always a formal legal category.)
|
petty crime (Emphasizes low seriousness; not the precise legal label.)
Antonyms
felony (A more serious crime, typically with harsher punishment.)
Collocations
misdemeanor charge
|misdemeanor offense
|misdemeanor conviction
|misdemeanor count
|misdemeanor case
|misdemeanor arrest
|misdemeanor record
|plead guilty to a misdemeanor
|reduced to a misdemeanor
|misdemeanor sentence
Themes
law
|crime
|government
Examples
- He was arrested for a misdemeanor after a fight outside the bar.
- The prosecutor agreed to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor.
- A misdemeanor conviction can still affect your job prospects.
Learner examples
- Shoplifting can be a misdemeanor.
- She was charged with a misdemeanor.
Noun
formal
C1
abstract
2
Minor wrongdoing or bad behavior
A small wrong action.
Usage pattern:
[a] misdemeanor (to do [something])
Common mistake:
In everyday speech, people more often say “mistake” or “wrongdoing”; “misdemeanor” can sound legal even when used generally.
Synonyms
misdeed (General word for a wrong act; not necessarily legal.)
|
wrongdoing (Broader and more neutral; can be serious or minor.)
|
infraction (Often refers to a breach of a rule, especially a minor one.)
Antonyms
virtue (A good moral quality or right behavior.)
|
good deed (A positive action, opposite of a wrong act.)
Collocations
minor misdemeanor
|a youthful misdemeanor
|a misdemeanor compared with [something]
|social misdemeanor
|political misdemeanor
|mere misdemeanor
Themes
ethics
|behavior
Examples
- He treated the breach as a minor misdemeanor rather than a serious offense.
- In the grand scheme of things, the lie was a misdemeanor compared with the fraud.
- She apologized for the social misdemeanor of arriving late without calling.
Learner examples
- It was a small misdemeanor, not a big problem.
- He admitted his misdemeanor and said sorry.
Grammar
Dictionary form
misdemeanor
IPA
GB/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/
US/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/
Syllables & stress
mis - de - mean - or (4 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (mean)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: misdemeanor
- Plural: misdemeanors
Word family
Expressions
class a misdemeanor
1/klˈæs ə mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/
fixed phrase
legal
most serious misdemeanor category
In some places, the highest level of misdemeanor.
Examples
- He was charged with a class A misdemeanor under state law.
- The offense can be filed as a class A misdemeanor in some cases.
- Her attorney argued for a reduction from a class A misdemeanor.
gross misdemeanor
1/ɡɹˈoʊs mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ/
fixed phrase
legal
misdemeanor treated as more serious
In some places, a more serious kind of misdemeanor.
Examples
- The charge was filed as a gross misdemeanor.
- In that state, repeated violations can be prosecuted as a gross misdemeanor.
- The judge explained the penalties for a gross misdemeanor.
misdemeanor charge
1/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ t͡ʃˈɑɹd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
legal
accusation of a misdemeanor crime
An official accusation of a less serious crime.
Examples
- She’s facing a misdemeanor charge for disorderly conduct.
- The city filed a misdemeanor charge after the incident.
- He hired a lawyer to fight the misdemeanor charge.
misdemeanor conviction
1/mˌɪsdəmˈinɚ kənvˈɪkʃən/
fixed phrase
legal
legal finding of misdemeanor guilt
A court decision that you are guilty of a misdemeanor.
Examples
- A misdemeanor conviction may show up on background checks.
- He appealed the misdemeanor conviction.
- She has one misdemeanor conviction on her record.