Misdemeanors (or misdemeanours) are "lesser" criminal acts which are generally punished less severely than felonies; but more so than infractions. In some jurisdictions, those who are convicted of a misdeameanor are known as misdemeanants. Depending on the jurisdiction, examples of misdemeanors may include: petty theft, prostitution, simple assault, trespass, vandalism, and the like. In general, misdemeanors are crimes with a maximum punishment of less than one year imprisonment. Those people who are convicted of misdemeanors are often punished with probation, community service or part-time imprisonment, served on the weekends. In many jurisdictions, misdemeanor convicts who are incarcerated serve their time in a local jail, whereas those convicted of a felony who are sentenced to more than one year serve their time in a prison.

See also: summary offence