Dictionary

misdemeanor en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- English demeanor English misdemeanor From mis- + demeanor.

Meanings

1. (US, historical, in UK, qualifier:criminal law) A lesser criminal act in most common law legal systems, generally punished less severely than a felony.
   • The offense is treated as a minor misdemeanor.
   • criminal misdemeanor
   • charged with a misdemeanor
   • He was charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony.
2. (US) Any act of misbehavior.
   • Because of the mother's lack of affection and the judgments made by everybody around her, the child is in opposition to everybody. Her misdemeanors may be partly the expression of her inner revolt. Quoted in 2002, The Collected Clinical Works of Alfred Adler (page 32)
   • petty misdemeanor

Forms

Coordinates

felony

Deriveds

misdemeanist · misdemeanorous · misdemeanant · misdemeanorize

Synonyms

misdemeanor · delinquency · misdeed · peccadillo · tortfeasance · malfeasance · transgression · error · wrongdoing · offense · crime · misdeed · sin · delinquency · tort · wrongdoing · veniality · petty crime · delict · villainy · wrong · misdoing

Translations (39)

pt contravenção (small crime) · da lovovertrædelse (small crime) · es mala conducta (small crime) · kk қылық (small crime) · pl wykroczenie (small crime) · cmn 輕微違反 /轻微违反 (small crime) · cs přestupek (small crime) · fi rikkomus (small crime) · nl wanbedrijf (small crime) · ru просту́пок (small crime) · he חֵטְא (small crime) · ja 軽罪 (small crime) · pl występek (small crime) · es falta (small crime) · sv förseelse (small crime) · nl overtreding (small crime) · vi tiểu hình (small crime) · ja 軽犯罪 (small crime) · fr forfait (small crime) · el πταίσμα (small crime) · vi khinh tội (small crime) · ar جُنْحَة (small crime) · sv lagöverträdelse (small crime) · cmn 輕罪 /轻罪 (small crime) · de Vergehen (small crime) · es contravención (small crime) · ko 경범죄 (small crime) · bg простъпка (small crime) · cs přečin (small crime) · cy camymddygiad (small crime) · hu szabálysértés (small crime) · fi lievä rikos (small crime) · it illecito (small crime) · fr délit (small crime) · da forseelse (small crime) · ko 경죄 (small crime) · el πλημμέλημα (small crime) · ja 微罪 (small crime) · ru правонаруше́ние (small crime)