felony
/ˈfelənɪ/noun
(pl. -ies)
- a crime, typically one involving violence, regarded in the US and many other judicial systems as more serious than a misdemeanour重罪：
he pleaded guilty to six felonies
他承认自己犯了六种重罪
mass noun an accusation of felony.一项重罪指控。
In the US the distinction between felonies and misdemeanours usually depends on the penalties or consequences attaching to the crime. In English law felony originally comprised those offences （murder, wounding, arson, rape, and robbery） for which the penalty included forfeiture of land and goods. Forfeiture was abolished in 1870, and in 1967 felonies and misdemeanours were replaced by indictable and non-indictable offences.
词源
Middle English: from Old French felonie, from felon （see FELON1 ）.