Felony Meaning
/ˈfɛləni/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA 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.
Sentence Examples
Throwing eggs is a felony if the damage done by the eggs exceeds 400$.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
CEFR Practice Quiz
Committing a ____ can result in a prison sentence of more than one year.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Stealing a car is considered a ____, and it carries much more severe penalties than a simple misdemeanor.
Word Origin & 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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 138, column 2:
"First, as felony prosecutor, I prosecute high-level felonies including homicides; sexual assaults; child endangerings; shootings and other felonious assaults; and media cases."
— 2015, Kenneth J. Peak, Pamela M. Everett, Introduction to Criminal Justice: Practice and Process:
"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."
— 2024 May 16, Casey Gannon, “Pennsylvania man charged with threatening Biden in online video”, in CNN, archived from the original on 23 May 2025:
"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."
— 2024 May 30, The Editorial Board, “Donald Trump, Felon”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 01 Jul 2024:
"“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.”"
— 2024 December 15, Kaan Ozcan and Sabrina Clay, “These convicted felons say if Trump can be elected president they shouldn’t face a stigma when applying for jobs”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Dec 2024:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Committing a ____ can result in a prison sentence of more than one year.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
Stealing a car is considered a ____, and it carries much more severe penalties than a simple misdemeanor.