felony murder

American

noun

a killing treated as a murder because, though unintended, it occurred during the commission or attempted commission of a felony, as robbery.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Just a few months ago, nearly the same scenario came to a head in Oklahoma, when 46-year-old Tremane Wood was scheduled to be executed after he spent decades on death row for felony murder.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

A judge vacated the felony murder convictions in 2020, after testing found the towel was free of blood.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2023

He recalled complaining about the unfairness of the old felony murder law at one stage in his brother’s case, before SB 1437, and having little success.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2023

A judge vacated the felony murder convictions in 2020, and the men filed a federal wrongful conviction lawsuit naming Lee, eight police investigators and the town of New Milford.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 21, 2023

The jury was unable to reach a consensus regarding the felony murder charge, and a mistrial was declared on that count.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023