Felony
//ˈfɛləni// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A serious criminal offense, which, under United States federal law, is punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than one year or by the death penalty in the most serious offenses. US, historical
"There ſhall be in England, ſeuen halfe peny Loaues ſold for a peny: the three hoop'd pot, ſhall haue ten hoopes, and I vvill make it Fellony to drink ſmall Beere."
- 2 a serious crime (such as murder or arson) wordnet
Example
More examples"Throwing eggs is a felony if the damage done by the eggs exceeds 400$."
Etymology
From Middle English felony, felonie, from Old French felonie (“evil, immoral deed”), from felon (“evildoer”). Ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin. More at felon. By surface analysis, felon + -y.
Related phrases
More for "felony"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.