infraction
Americannoun
-
infractions
plural
-
breach; violation; infringement.
an infraction of the rules.
-
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:
"For example, if our police officers pull someone over for a minor traffic infraction and they write a citation, that person receives a citation and goes about their day," Diaz said.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Every year Athenians would file into the agora and vote on whether to send a fellow citizen into exile for 10 years for some civic infraction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
On a play that was whistled dead because of a neutral zone infraction, Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson appeared to be shoved into referee Adrian Hill, who was knocked to the ground.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 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
The infraction was so cut-and-dried, and my writing so plain and direct, that I was about to explode from frustration.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
And he co-sponsored a law that voided the Memphis City Council’s ban on police stops for minor traffic infractions, which had been passed after the 2023 beating death of Black motorist Tyré Nichols.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
The commission also regulates lobbying and can issue penalties for fundraising and other infractions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
There’s an acknowledgment of responsibility, not for specific infractions, but for the popular catchall of “distraction and distress.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 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
“The Thunderhead sees just about everything, what with cameras everywhere. But it also decides what infractions are worth the effort to address and which ones are not.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
