felony
/ˈfɛləni/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.77 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
American usage
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "First, as felony prosecutor, I prosecute high-level felonies including homicides; sexual assaults; child endangerings; shootings and other felonious assaults; and media cases."
- "Jordan Gee, 37, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was charged with three felony counts of threats against the president and one count of interstate threats, according to the Justice Department."
- "Many experts have also expressed skepticism about the significance of this case and its legal underpinnings, which employed an unusual legal theory to seek a felony charge for what is more commonly a misdemeanor, and Mr. Trump will undoubtedly seek an appeal."
- "“If people can trust in him to run the country, you should trust in somebody that did their time and want to reinstate themselves,” Jeremiah says. “Especially if your leader has got 30-something felonies and I just have one.”"
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: felony, felonie, -
Usage
- American usage
Inflected Forms
felonies (plural)
fellonie (alternative)