# felony

Pronunciation: US say "FEL-uh-nee" /ˈfɛləni/; UK

## Noun

1. A serious criminal offense that, under US federal law, carries a prison term of at least one year, or the death penalty for the gravest crimes. *(US)*
   - Simple: A serious crime that can send someone to prison for more than a year.
   - _The prosecutor charged him with a felony rather than a lesser offense._
   - _Several felonies appeared on her record, each carrying years of potential prison time._

## Origin

From Middle English felony, from Old French felonie ("evil, immoral deed"), from felon ("evildoer"). It is ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/felony (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).