Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

misdemeanor

/ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.38 in modern English

Syllables: mis-de-mean-or
IPA: /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A lesser criminal act in most common law legal systems, generally punished less severely than a felony.

American usage

noun

Any act of misbehavior.

American usage

Example Sentences

"He was charged with a misdemeanor rather than a felony."
"The offense is treated as a minor misdemeanor."
"criminal misdemeanor"
"charged with a misdemeanor"
"petty misdemeanor"
"Because of the mother's lack of affection and the judgments made by everybody around her, the child is in opposition to everybody. Her misdemeanors may be partly the expression of her inner revolt."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- English demeanor English misdemeanor From mis- + demeanor.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/

Usage

American usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Inflected Forms

misdemeanors (plural) misdemeanour (alternative)

Derived Forms

misdemeanant misdemeanist misdemeanorize misdemeanorous

Frequently Paired Words

felony

Synonyms

petty crime delinquency misdeed wrongdoing crime delict error malfeasance misdemeanor misdoing offense peccadillo

Rhymes With

cleaner pasadena greener demeanor wiener leaner demeanour meaner keener screener diener treanor

Questions

How do you pronounce misdemeanor?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(ɹ)/.
What does misdemeanor mean?: A lesser criminal act in most common law legal systems, generally punished less severely than a felony.
Where does misdemeanor come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-? Proto-Indo-European *meyth₂-der. Proto-Germanic *missaz Proto-Germanic *missa- Proto-West Germanic *missa- Old English mis- Middle English mys- English mis- English demeanor English misdemeanor From mis- + demeanor.

How to pronounce misdemeanor

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