sec·ond-degree
ˈse-kən(d)-di-ˈgrē 
-kᵊŋ-
1
US, of a crime
: of a level of seriousness that is less than first degree : warranting punishment but not the most severe punishment
second-degree assault/murder
2
: causing or characterized by a moderate level of injury
a second-degree concussion
see also second-degree burn
US
: the level of a crime that is less than first degree and warrants less severe punishment
He was charged with assault in the second degree.
Examples of second-degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 28 Jan. 2025
Louis was later charged with first-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, second-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny, larceny of a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit larceny of a motor vehicle and interfering with an officer.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2025
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
Pierre Jackson, 26, pleaded no contest to second degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of 25-year-old Dejante Kennedy.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025
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Adjective
Polanco's attorneys for the parole process came from the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project, a student organization at Harvard Law School that works with inmates accused of violating prison rules, parolees facing revocation and second-degree murderers seeking parole.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 28 Jan. 2025
Louis was later charged with first-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary, second-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny, larceny of a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit larceny of a motor vehicle and interfering with an officer.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
Lino was charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
Pierre Jackson, 26, pleaded no contest to second degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of 25-year-old Dejante Kennedy.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for second-degree
Dictionary Entries Near second-degree
Cite this Entry
“Second-degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-degree. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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