relating to a category or level that is next to the highest or most serious in a series, especially to a crime less serious than the first degree, such as second-degree murder or second-degree assault.
relating to a category that is next to the lowest or least serious in a series, especially to a burn more serious than a first-degree burn but not as serious as a third-degree burn.
(of a relative) being connected by blood through another immediate blood relative. Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, grandparents and grandchildren, and half-siblings are second-degree relatives.
a category or level that is next to the highest or most serious in a series, especially with reference to a crime, such as grand theft of the second degree.
a category that is next to the lowest or least serious in a series, or that comes after or below the first degree.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They were each charged with unlawful taking of a vehicle and second-degree burglary — both counts enhanced with allegations that they have prior criminal records and the crimes required sophistication and professionalism to carry out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The officer involved was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to seven years in prison.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2026
In 2021, a Minnesota jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the 2020 in-custody death of George Floyd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
TMZ was the first to report about Couture’s crash and his injuries, which include first- and second-degree burns, trauma injuries and smoke inhalation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2025
“I saw Ed McMellon,” Boss would later testify, when the four officers were brought to trial on charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree murder.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Bernstein analyst Zhihan Ma warns that inflation will still be a headwind, as “the second degree impact has yet to play out.”
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Karen Read has been charged with second degree murder and other charges in the 2022 death of Officer John O’Keefe.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
After completing a degree in computer systems engineering at Sussex University, she developed a career as a systems analyst while working part-time to gain a second degree in Law from Birkbeck University.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2024
The Marvel actor was found not guilty on one count of intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2023
“Those of us who have reached the second degree wear it like that,” said Eric.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
