misdemeanour
/ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmɪsdɪˈmiːnər/ (ame, ipa)
misdemeanour — 名詞
- misdemeanoursingular
- misdemeanoursplural
1. a small wrong act, such as breaking a rule, that annoys people but is not bad en
輕微過失
違反規定但未到犯罪程度的小錯
a small wrong act, such as breaking a rule, that annoys people but is not bad enough to be called a crime
Caleb apologised for the youthful misdemeanour of spraying paint on the school gate.
Caleb 為年輕時在校門口噴漆的輕微過失道歉。
youthful misdemeanour — common collocation for past minor wrongs
The headmistress kept a notebook listing every misdemeanour committed by the boarding-school students.
女校長準備了一本筆記，記下寄宿學校學生犯下的每一項小過錯。
commit a misdemeanour — typical verb collocation
Newspapers in London love to publish stories about the misdemeanours of famous footballers.
倫敦的報紙很愛刊登知名足球員的種種小過錯。
After the office party, Mira had to listen to a long lecture about her minor misdemeanour.
辦公室派對之後，Mira 被狠狠唸了一頓關於她那點小過失。
The new manager refused to overlook even the smallest misdemeanour in the warehouse.
新來的主管連倉庫裡最小的過錯也不肯睜一隻眼閉一隻眼。
- transgression
more formal; emphasises breaking a moral or social rule
- wrongdoing
broader; covers any morally wrong behaviour, large or small
- misbehaviour
everyday word; suggests childish or unruly conduct
- indiscretion
milder; suggests a careless rather than deliberate act
- good deed
an action that helps someone or follows the rules
文法句型
a misdemeanour of [doing]
petty misdemeanour
用法筆記
Typically used in British English about behaviour that is socially or institutionally wrong but not illegal — school rule-breaking, embarrassing conduct, minor workplace misconduct. Often appears in the plural to describe a pattern.
常見錯誤
2. in American law, an illegal act that the courts treat as low-level — well below
輕罪
美國法律中刑度低於重罪的犯罪
in American law, an illegal act that the courts treat as low-level — well below a felony — and usually punish with a fine or a short stay in jail
Andrés was charged with a misdemeanour after the police caught him driving without a licence.
Andrés 因為被警察抓到無照駕駛，被以輕罪起訴。
charged with a misdemeanour — standard legal collocation
In most American states, shoplifting goods worth under $500 counts as a misdemeanour, not a felony.
在美國大多數的州，偷竊金額低於 500 美元的商品算是輕罪，不算重罪。
misdemeanour vs felony — typical contrast in US law
The judge in the Boston courtroom fined Abigail $300 for a traffic misdemeanour.
波士頓法庭的法官因為交通輕罪判 Abigail 罰款 300 美元。
Hassan's lawyer argued that the offence should be treated as a misdemeanour rather than a serious crime.
Hassan 的律師主張這個案件應該以輕罪處理，而不是重罪。
A first-time misdemeanour in Texas can sometimes be removed from your record after several years.
在德州，初犯的輕罪有時可以在數年後從個人紀錄中銷除。
- minor offence
neutral; works in both UK and US legal contexts
- petty offence
very low-level offence, often below misdemeanour in some US states
- infraction
US legal term for an even smaller violation, usually only fineable
- felony
the much more serious US legal category, punishable by over a year in prison
文法句型
charged with a misdemeanour
convicted of a misdemeanour
用法筆記
Specifically a US legal category. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names an actual prosecutable offence handled in court, not just a socially-frowned-upon act. Contrast with 'felony', the more serious legal category.