misdemeanant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Legal
Quick answer
What does “misdemeanant” mean?
A person who commits a minor criminal offence or a breach of the law.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who commits a minor criminal offence or a breach of the law.
Can be used loosely to describe someone who engages in improper or mildly unacceptable behaviour, not necessarily criminal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the US, it's a standard legal term. In the UK, while understood and used legally, 'summary offender' or specific offence names (e.g., 'public order offender') are often more contemporary in everyday legal reporting.
Connotations
US: Strongly associated with the legal justice system. UK: Can sound dated or very official outside of formal legal documents.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but higher in US legal texts and journalism than in UK equivalents.
Grammar
How to Use “misdemeanant” in a Sentence
[be + classified/labelled/tried] as a misdemeanant[convict/sentence] a misdemeanantVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misdemeanant” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The misdemeanant class was separated from the felons.
American English
- He faced misdemeanant charges rather than a felony indictment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. Might appear in legal compliance documents: 'Background checks revealed a history as a misdemeanant.'
Academic
Used in legal history, criminology, and sociology texts discussing categories of crime and punishment.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would sound overly formal or like legalese.
Technical
A standard term in US criminal law classification and statistics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “misdemeanant”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “misdemeanant”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misdemeanant”
- Misspelling as 'misdemenant' or 'misdemeanent'.
- Using it as a general synonym for 'criminal' (too broad).
- Pronouncing it as /maɪs-/ instead of /mɪs-/.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A misdemeanant commits a misdemeanour, a less serious crime often punishable by fines or less than a year in jail. A felon commits a felony, a more serious crime with harsher penalties.
Yes, though it's less common. It can be used attributively, as in 'misdemeanant charges' or 'misdemeanant behaviour'.
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. It is standard in legal contexts, especially American, but very rare in everyday speech.
It derives from the Anglo-French 'mesdemeanour' (misdeed) + the agent suffix '-ant', entering English in the legal context of the 15th century.
A person who commits a minor criminal offence or a breach of the law.
Misdemeanant is usually formal, legal in register.
Misdemeanant: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsdəˈmiːnənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms specific to this word]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'MIS-DE-MEAN-ANT' - Someone whose MEAN (bad) actions MIS (wrongly) DE-mean (lower) their standing, making them an ANT (agent/person).
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A HIERARCHY (misdemeanant occupies a lower, less serious rung compared to a felon).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'misdemeanant' most precisely and commonly used?