felony

• fellonie

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.

• enPR: fĕ'lə-nē, IPA^(key): /ˈfɛləni/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɛləni

felony (plural felonies)

1. (law, criminology, US, historical in UK) 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.

   Coordinate term: misdemeanor

   • 2015, Kenneth J. Peak, Pamela M. Everett, Introduction to Criminal Justice: Practice and Process:

     First, as felony prosecutor, I prosecute high-level felonies including homicides; sexual assaults; child endangerings; shootings and other felonious assaults; and media cases.

   • 2024 May 30, The Editorial Board, “Donald Trump, Felon”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     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.

• felon
• felonious
• felonize

• misdemeanor (less serious crime)