An infraction is usually the breaking of a law, rule, or agreement. So a nation charged with an infraction of an international treaty will usually have to pay a penalty. In Federal law, an infraction is even smaller than a misdemeanor, and the only penalty is a fine. Most of us occasionally commit infractions of parking laws and get ticketed; speeding tickets are usually for infractions as well, though they go on a permanent record and can end up costing you money for years to come. The closely related word infringement generally refers to a violation of a right or privilege; use of another's writings without permission, for example, may be an infringement of the copyright.
speeding is only a minor infraction, but vehicular homicide is a serious felony
Recent Examples on the WebRavens left tackle Ronnie Stanley was flagged four times for the same infraction in the first half.—NBC News, 7 Sep. 2024 There is one new infraction on that list this year: the hip-drop tackle.—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2024 European fines for Big Tech infractions now reach into the billions of dollars.—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2024 Neutral arbitrators, a special master, third-party decision-making on infractions that could affect athlete eligibility?—Jesse Dougherty, Washington Post, 26 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for infraction
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infraction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Medieval Latin infraction-, infractio, from Latin, subduing, from infringere to break — more at infringe
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