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misdemeanor

Definition of Misdemeanor

(noun) A crime considered less serious than a felony and typically punishable by a small fine or brief period of imprisonment.

Misdemeanor Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: mis·de·mean·or

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /mis-di-mEE-nuhr/
  • British English – /mis-di-mEE-nuh/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌmɪsdəˈminər/
  • British English – /ˌmɪsdᵻˈmiːnə/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: misdemeanors
  • A type of crime.
  • Misdemeanors are studied in criminology.
  • Variant spelling: misdemeanour
  • Also called:
    • infraction
    • infringement
    • petty crime
    • violation

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Additional Information

Related Terms

Works Consulted

Briggs, Steven M., and Joan Friedman. 2009. Criminology For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Siegel, Larry J., and Clemens Bartollas. 2011. Corrections Today. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Siegel, Larry J., and John L. Worrall. 2012. Introduction to Criminal Justice. 13th ed. Belmont: CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Siegel, Larry J., and John L. Worrall. 2013. Essentials of Criminal Justice. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Taylor & Francis. (N.d.) Routledge Handbooks Online. (https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/).

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Wiley. (N.d.) Wiley Online Library. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/).

Cite the Definition of Misdemeanor

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “misdemeanor.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 16, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/misdemeanor/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

misdemeanor. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/misdemeanor/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “misdemeanor.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/misdemeanor/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“misdemeanor.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/misdemeanor/>.