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Felon Definition in a Sentence

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noun

Law. a person who has committed a felony.

Archaic. a wicked person.

adjective

Archaic. wicked; malicious; treacherous.

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Origin of felon

1

1250–1300; Middle English fel(o)un "wicked, wicked person, evildoer," from Old French fel (nominative), felun (oblique) "wicked person, traitor," from Medieval Latin fellon- , stem of fello "villain, evildoer"; ultimate etymology uncertain

usage note for felon

Once a person is no longer engaged in crime we can say "He's a former criminal." And once a person is no longer incarcerated, we can say "She's an ex-convict." Though both statements carry a stigma, they leave open the possibility that the people in question have changed their behavior. But this does not seem to be the case with the term felon , which appears to have no time limit. Once a person has been convicted of a felony, he or she can be considered a felon for life, according to the strict meaning of the word. (The term ex-felon , for example, is rarely used.) Advocates for the reform of our criminal justice system point out that this usage makes it even harder for rehabilitated former criminals to reintegrate into society and thereby turn away from a life of crime.

Words nearby felon

fellow traveler, fellow traveller, fell pony, felly, felo-de-se, felon, felonious, felonry, felony, felony murder, felsic

Other definitions for felon (2 of 2)


noun

an acute and painful inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger or toe, usually near the nail: a form of whitlow.

Origin of felon

2

1375–1425; late Middle English felo(u)n<Medieval Latin fellōn- (stem of fellō) scrofulous tumor, of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use felon in a sentence

  • Activists have scrambled to help ex-felons pay those penalties and re-enfranchise as many of them as possible.

  • In Florida, the Gutting of a Landmark Law Leaves Few Felons Likely to VoteState officials don't know how many felons are registered or eligible to vote.

  • The idea for the pledge came to him as he read coverage of Mike Bloomberg's effort to pay the debts of former felons in Florida, whom the state had prevented from voting if they owed it money.

  • She declined to give a current number of people flagged as felons.

  • He also hired a convicted felon to review and collect attorney fees of hundreds of poor defendants in Cumberland County.

  • The Washington Post added that the man was a convicted felon.

  • Morgan is a convicted felon and therefore barred from possessing firearms.

  • Yet, despite his criminal record, countless women fawned over the seemingly sexy felon.

  • Meet the drug felon and Bravo TV star challenging Lindsey Graham for his Senate seat in November.

  • Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) is a grifter and a wingnut, but is he possibly a felon too?

  • He added 'that he had rather live as a felon or a rebel than adventure his undoing for the Queen.'

  • Amongst the prisoners taken was Wolfe Tone; who soon afterwards in order to avoid a felon's death, ended his life by suicide.

  • "Ay, wench—in that sure prison which felon never breaks from," answered the Countess.

  • If you have evidence against Frank Lamotte, why do you occupy a felon's cell?

  • The condemned felon has as good a yard for air and exercise in Newgate, as the insolvent debtor in the Marshalsea Prison.

British Dictionary definitions for felon (1 of 2)


noun

criminal law (formerly) a person who has committed a felony

obsolete a wicked person

adjective

archaic, or poetic evil; cruel

Word Origin for felon

C13: from Old French: villain, from Medieval Latin fellō, of uncertain origin

British Dictionary definitions for felon (2 of 2)


noun

a purulent inflammation of the end joint of a finger, sometimes affecting the bone

Word Origin for felon

C12: from Medieval Latin fellō sore, perhaps from Latin fel poison

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for felon


n.

A purulent infection or abscess involving the bulbous distal end of a finger. whitlow

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Felon Definition in a Sentence

Source: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/felon