felony
Prison-worthy offense
A felony is a serious crime, more severe than a misdemeanor.
Murder, rape, arson, and armed robbery are felonies in most jurisdictions.
The distinction matters for sentencing—felonies typically carry imprisonment of a year or more, while misdemeanors bring shorter sentences or fines.
A felony conviction often strips voting rights and restricts employment: He couldn't pass the background check because of a prior felony.
Confinement in jail
- prisonConfinement for offenders
- penitentiaryFacility for convicted criminals
- paroleConditional early release
- probationSupervised trial period
sentencing · correctional facility · hard labor · life sentence · detention · confinement · state prison · federal prison
Deliberate unlawful killing
- robberyTheft through intimidation
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
- arsonCriminal deliberate burning
- kidnappingUnlawful seizure of person
rape · assault · manslaughter · homicide · embezzlement · fraud · theft · larceny
Formal charge from jury
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- sentencingImposing legal punishment
verdict · defendant · trial · plea bargain · grand jury · criminal record · due process · statute
Conducting illegal business schemes
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- mafiaCriminal organization using intimidation
- accompliceCrime's willing helper
- accessorySupplementary addition
criminal enterprise · RICO · syndicate · mob · cartel · kingpin · organized crime
Odiously, shockingly evil
- graveSerious and worrying
- seriousWeighty and requiring attention
- egregiousConspicuously awful
- violentInvolving physical force
aggravated · capital · first-degree · second-degree · third-degree · Class A · high crime · indictable
incarceration
Confinement in jail
- prisonConfinement for offenders
- penitentiaryFacility for convicted criminals
- paroleConditional early release
probation · sentencing · correctional facility · hard labor · life sentence · detention · confinement · state prison · federal prison · inmate
murder
Deliberate unlawful killing
- robberyTheft through intimidation
- burglaryIllegal entry to commit crime
- arsonCriminal deliberate burning
kidnapping · rape · assault · manslaughter · homicide · embezzlement · fraud · theft · larceny · extortion
indictment
Formal charge from jury
- arraignmentCharge-reading court session
- prosecutionPursuing legal charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
sentencing · verdict · defendant · trial · plea bargain · grand jury · criminal record · due process · statute · jurisdiction
racketeering
Conducting illegal business schemes
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- mafiaCriminal organization using intimidation
- accompliceCrime's willing helper
accessory · criminal enterprise · RICO · syndicate · mob · cartel · kingpin · organized crime
heinous
Odiously, shockingly evil
violent · aggravated · capital · first-degree · second-degree · third-degree · Class A · high crime · indictable · wobbler
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- criminal lawcrime, misdemeanor, murder, robbery, theft
- Class Systemsdrug scheduling, hazmat, misdemeanor, minor leagues, baseball league
- background checkscriminal record, criminal records, criminal check, criminal record check, employment verification
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- criminal trialarraignment, defense attorney, courtroom, criminal trial, prosecutor
felonymisdemeanor
Lesser criminal charge
infraction · petty offense · violation · minor offense · citation
felonyvirtue
Moral goodness or merit
uprightness · honor · morality · righteousness · good deed
felonycompliance
Adhering to requirements
lawfulness · innocence · obedience · acquittal · exoneration
- felony chargesAccusations of major crimes
- convicted felon
- felony convictionGuilty verdict, serious crime
- felony recordDocumentation of serious crimes
- felony murderKilling during commission of crime
- felony casesSerious crime legal proceedings