misdemeanour
/,misdi'mi:nə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A minor crime or offense: A misdemeanour is a criminal act that is considered less serious than a felony. It typically involves less severe punishment, such as fines, community service, or short jail sentences.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Theft of a small item from a store is often charged as a misdemeanour.
- He was convicted of a misdemeanour for disturbing the peace.
- Common misdemeanours include vandalism, simple assault, and petty theft.
Advanced Usage
Legal Distinction: In many legal systems, the classification of a crime as a misdemeanour versus a felony depends on the potential punishment. Misdemeanours are punishable by less than one year of incarceration.
- The prosecutor decided to reduce the charge from a felony to a misdemeanour.
"Misdemeanour of office": A specific legal term for misconduct or neglect of duty by a public official.
- The official was investigated for a misdemeanour of office.
Variants and Related Words
Misdemeanant (noun): A person convicted of a misdemeanour.
- The program was designed for first-time misdemeanants.
Misdemeanor (noun): The standard American English spelling of "misdemeanour".
- "Misdemeanor" is the preferred spelling in U.S. legal documents.
Synonyms
- Petty offense: A minor crime.
- Summary offence (Commonwealth legal systems): A minor crime tried without a jury.
- Infraction: A violation, often of a rule or law, that is less serious than a misdemeanour.
Antonyms
- Felony: A serious crime, such as murder or armed robbery, typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year.
- Capital crime: A crime punishable by death.
Related Phrases
- "High crimes and misdemeanours": A phrase from the U.S. Constitution describing grounds for impeachment, where "misdemeanours" refers to serious abuses of power, not minor crimes.
- The impeachment article accused the president of high crimes and misdemeanours.
Noun
-
a crime less serious than a felony
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