1. Serious crimes; such as, murder, rape, arson, or burglary: Felonies are punishable by a more severe sentence than that which is given for a misdemeanor.

There were several crimes in early English law that were punishable by forfeiture of land or property and even by the possible loss of one's life or a part of his or her body.

A felony is sometimes called a "high crime" because it is considered to be more serious. A felony is different from a misdemeanor as far as the amount of punishment a person will receive when convicted.

In the United States, a felony is a crime that has a sentence of more than a year in prison; on the other hand, a year or less in prison signifies that the crime is a minor one which is punishable by a fine or a small jail term; in other words, traffic or parking violations are usually dealt with informally, without a trial.