MISDEME'ANOR, noun Ill behavior; evil conduct; fault; mismanagement. 1. In law, an offense of a less atrocious nature than a crime. Crimes and misdemeanors are mere synonymous terms; but in common usage, the word crime is made to denote offenses of a deeper and more atrocious dye, while small faults and omissions of less consequence are comprised under the gentler name of misdemeanors.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI