A misdemeanor is a minor crime that is less serious than a felony, like petty theft or vandalism. It can still lead to fines, community service, or short jail time.
From Anglo-Norman and Middle English, combining “mis-” meaning “wrong” with “demeanor” meaning “behavior.” It originally referred to bad behavior in general before becoming a legal term for minor offenses.
A misdemeanor is literally a ‘wrong behavior,’ not originally a technical legal label. Over time, law took this everyday idea of acting badly and turned it into a specific category of crime.
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