Felonie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A grave criminal offense, typically one punishable by a lengthy prison sentence or capital punishment
2. A serious crime that under law carries penalties of imprisonment for more than a year or, historically, death
3. A major criminal act prosecuted in a higher court and carrying severe penalties including extended incarceration

Etymology: The Middle English "felonie" came into English from Anglo-Norman and Old French, where "felonie" meant disloyalty, especially a vassal's betrayal of his feudal lord. Under medieval law, a breach of that bond of loyalty was among the gravest offences, and a convicted vassal could lose his lands and goods. Those forfeitures passed to the lord, which is why the legal idea of felony became tied to property and the crown's interests. The root is "felon," from medieval Latin "fello," meaning a wicked person or villain. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though it is often thought to be Germanic. The word's broader sense of serious crime developed as English law organized offences into felonies and misdemeanours, and the older meaning of betrayal of trust faded.