# If a Person Who Commits a Felony is Called a Felon...

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-who-commits-a-felony-is-called-a-felon/41585
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 17, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-who-commits-a-felony-is-called-a-felon/41585 "2000-11-17T13:32:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![yamo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e19b73/32.png) [@yamo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yamo1)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2000, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-who-commits-a-felony-is-called-a-felon/41585/21 "2000-11-18T08:37:45Z")

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Aunty?..troubling.

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### Author: ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-person-who-commits-a-felony-is-called-a-felon/41585/22 "2000-11-18T18:41:39Z")

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You could also use “petty criminal,” since misdemeanors are considered “petty offenses.”

(From the old Norman/French “petit” meaning small or minor. Also used to ditinguish between “grand juries” and “petit juries” and “grand theft” and “petit theft” or “petty theft.”)

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