as in crimes
law
a criminal act that is less serious than a felony
He was charged with committing a misdemeanor. a misdemeanor traffic violation
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Recent Examples of misdemeanors
The detectives went and wrote a criminal complaint, charging Ruth with stalking and loitering and prowling at night, misdemeanors that did not reflect the seriousness, or danger, of the situation, and got a warrant for his arrest.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
However, many Americans have been critical of his immigration policy, as individuals with misdemeanors, decades-old infractions, or, in some cases, no criminal records at all have been swept up in the heightened enforcement.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Trigg County Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree pleaded guilty to multiple misdemeanors in 2023 and is on probation.
—Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025
Sumpter was charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including assault likely to produce great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and dissuading a witness, Butte County public records show.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The panel issued over 100 recommendations, from limiting cash bail for misdemeanors to expanding racial equity training for prosecutors.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
The vast majority — 80% — were misdemeanors, warrants, traffic offenses or prosecutors dropping the case.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Court records indicate Dabney pleaded guilty to all misdemeanors while prosecutors dropped the felony charge, which would have resulted in a 2 to 10 year prison sentence if convicted.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In 2020, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, one an assault charge and the other a battery charge, involving threats to commit violence and unlawful use of force or violence, court records show.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
However, many Americans have been critical of his immigration policy, as individuals with misdemeanors, decades-old infractions, or, in some cases, no criminal records at all have been swept up in the heightened enforcement.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Trigg County Trigg County Sheriff Aaron Acree pleaded guilty to multiple misdemeanors in 2023 and is on probation.
—Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025
Sumpter was charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including assault likely to produce great bodily injury, battery with serious bodily injury and dissuading a witness, Butte County public records show.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
The panel issued over 100 recommendations, from limiting cash bail for misdemeanors to expanding racial equity training for prosecutors.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
The vast majority — 80% — were misdemeanors, warrants, traffic offenses or prosecutors dropping the case.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Court records indicate Dabney pleaded guilty to all misdemeanors while prosecutors dropped the felony charge, which would have resulted in a 2 to 10 year prison sentence if convicted.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
In 2020, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, one an assault charge and the other a battery charge, involving threats to commit violence and unlawful use of force or violence, court records show.
—Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for misdemeanors
Noun
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Federal prosecutors charged a UK teenager with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and other crimes in connection with the network intrusions of 47 US companies that generated more than $115 million in ransomware payments over a three-year span.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
19 Sep. 2025
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In her wrongful termination lawsuit against Bianco, Flores describes how many of the sheriff’s employees were fired or charged with crimes while others were let off with little or no discipline.—
Christopher Damien,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Raise the stakes for farmers There have been calls not just to hold farmers more accountable for H-2A violations, but also to reward the ones who comply with labor laws.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
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Moving too quickly without considering ethical implications can lead to biased algorithms or privacy violations.—
Andrew Dunn,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Misdemeanors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/misdemeanors. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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