Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, historical
Topics: criminology, human-sciences, law, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a serious crime (such as murder or arson)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: crime, offense, criminal offense, criminal offence, offence, law-breaking
Narrower terms: capture, seizure, racketeering, bribery, graft, larceny, theft, thievery, thieving, stealing, extortion, burglary
History
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.
Across languages
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
