first degree

1 of 2

noun

US : the level of a crime that is the most serious and warranting the most severe punishment

first-degree

2 of 2

adjective

first-de·​gree ˈfərst-di-ˈgrē How to pronounce first-degree (audio)
1
US : of the most serious type : warranting the harshest punishment
first-degree murder/theft/arson
2
: of the least harmful or mildest type
first-degree frostbite
see also first-degree burn

Examples of first degree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The brothers were convicted by a single jury of first degree murder in March 1996, and sentenced that July to life in prison without parole. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024 Gledhill is facing nine charges including one count of first degree murder, five counts of felony obstruction of justice, one count of tampering with a witness and one count of abuse or desecration of a dead human body, according to court records. Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
The brothers were convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024 The first trial ended with deadlocked juries and a second trial, which focused much less on the abuse claims, ended in the conviction of both brothers on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder. Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first degree 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first degree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1682, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of first degree was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near first degree

first defense

first degree

first-degree

Cite this Entry

“First degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20degree. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

first-degree

adjective
: of the lowest or mildest in a series of categories : characterized by or causing the least harmful level of injury
a first-degree laceration
see also first-degree burn compare second-degree, third-degree

Legal Definition

first degree

noun
: the grade given to the most serious forms of crimes
burglary in the first degree
first-degree adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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