felony
FELL-uh-nee
/ˈfɛləni/
A grave crime, typically punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.
Refers strictly to major statutory offenses, distinguishing them from minor infractions.
The story behind the word. The term traces back to medieval Feudal Latin 'felo', referring to a vassal who broke his oath of allegiance to his lord, forfeiting his land and life.
Word relationships
- major crime: Less precise legally; felony is a formal statutory classification.
- misdemeanor: Refers to a minor crime punishable by shorter detention or fines.
Commonly confused with
- misdemeanor: Felonies carry harsher sentences (over one year) compared to misdemeanors.
Word family
- felon (noun): A person convicted of a felony.
- felonious (adjective): Relating to or involving a felony.
Collocations
- commit a felony
- felony charges
- felony conviction
- class A felony
Example sentences
- "Armed robbery is classified as a federal felony carrying mandatory minimum sentencing." Legal indictment
Memory hook
A FELON commits a FELONY and FALLS into heavy state prison time. Heavy prison time crime.
When not to use
Do not use for minor civil disagreements, traffic tickets, or petty theft.
Fun facts
- In medieval Europe, a felony conviction automatically meant forfeiture of all real estate to the king.
Related words
Explore more words
convict, penitentiary, penal, fatality, sentence, retributive
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