Felony
/ˈfɛləni/
Definitions
A serious crime, typically one involving violence, regarded as more serious than a misdemeanor, and usually punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or by death.
/ˈfɛləni/
A serious crime.
The defendant was charged with multiple felonies, including armed robbery.
💡 Simply: A felony is like doing something super bad that gets you in a lot of trouble with the law, like going to jail for a long time. Imagine someone robbing a bank – that’s definitely a felony!
👶 For kids: A felony is a really big bad thing that someone does that could send them to jail for a long, long time.
More Examples
The severity of the crime classified it as a felony.
A conviction for a felony can have serious consequences, including the loss of certain rights.
How It's Used
"He was convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison."
From Middle English *felonie*, from Anglo-French *felonie* (compare Old French *felonie*), from Medieval Latin *felonia* ("wickedness, crime"), from Late Latin *felo* (“villain”), from Proto-Germanic *felō* (“cruel, wicked”).
The term 'felony' has been used in legal contexts since at least the 13th century, evolving from a general term for wickedness to a specific legal classification of crimes.
Memory tip
Think of 'felony' as a very serious 'fellow' who has broken the law severely.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: felo