misdemeanour

Variant of misdemeanor

misdemeanor definition

mis·de·meanor (mis′də mēn′ər)

noun

  1. Rare the act of misbehaving
  2. Law any minor offense, as the breaking of a municipal ordinance, for which statute provides a lesser punishment than for a felony: the penalty is usually a fine or imprisonment for a short time (usually less than one year) in a local jail, workhouse, etc.
    Brit. sp. misdemeanour mis′·de·mean′·our

Etymology: mis- + demeanor

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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