An archaic term meaning a felony or serious crime; the practice or state of committing felonies.
From Old French 'felonie,' based on 'felon' (wicked). Used in Middle English and Early Modern English legal language but largely replaced by 'felony.'
Medieval courts charged people with 'felonry'—it's why today's 'felony' is spelled with that odd y, a ghost of the French '-ie' ending that survived modernization.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.