first-degree
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the lowest or first in a series.
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of or relating to the highest or most serious in a series.
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.
The jury could find Clancy guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of lesser charges, or not guilty.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said authorities arrested Aaron Farinacci, a 37-year-old Spokane resident, on a first-degree arson charge related to one of three major fires burning in the eastern Washington area.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
That includes all first-degree relatives, like a parent or a sibling, according to the current guidelines.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Some offenders already are barred, including those convicted of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
But this set was probably from the first-degree hot chocolate burns.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
