infraction
Americannoun
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infractions
plural
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breach; violation; infringement.
an infraction of the rules.
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Medicine/Medical. an incomplete fracture of a bone.
Synonym Usage
See breach.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of infraction
First recorded in 1615–25, infraction is from the Latin word infrāctiōn- (stem of infrāctiō ). See infract, -ion
Explanation
When you break school rules about gum chewing, you commit an infraction. An infraction is a petty crime or a minor breaking of rules. When you think of the word infraction, think that your offence has just crossed the line into wrong. Something like a parking ticket is an infraction. When you commit an infraction, you're not knee deep in wrong, you've just dipped your toe into wrong to see what it feels like. A misdemeanor is a more serious crime such as theft, and murder is considered a felony, the most serious of crimes.
Vocabulary lists containing infraction
The Giver
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Give Me a Break!: Fract and Frag
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Tangerine
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He pleaded not guilty, and the infraction was dismissed in 2024, court records show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
If there was a minor traffic infraction or other probable cause to make a stop, proving their motive requires them to confess to acting with intent to discriminate, Willis said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Alireza Faghani, the Australian referee, missed the infraction in real-time, but produced a red card after consulting with the video replay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
In other words, faculty can be fired for whatever infraction the school’s governing board decides is a fireable one.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
At the first verbal warning, remove the first tab; repeat for a second infraction.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Highway patrol troopers make the bulk of the stops in those states, either for apparent infractions or based on a tip from DHS.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Those caught breaking the law face fixed penalty notices of £200 for a minor breach and criminal prosecution for more serious infractions.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Fines for such infractions in West Newport Beach and the Peninsula — dubbed safety enhancement zones — will be tripled through July 6.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
And EPA data shows that its pattern of reported infractions has continued in recent years.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
Bratton turned the transit police into an organization focused on the smallest infractions, on the details of life underground.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
