second-degree murder
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of second-degree murder
An Americanism dating back to 1945–50
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.
Jurors can also find Clancy guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter, or not guilty by lack of criminal responsibility -- a verdict that would see Clancy sent to a psychiatric facility.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 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
Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, Jr were found not guilty on all charges on Wednesday, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression.
From BBC ● May 7, 2025
Pennsylvania sentencing law was inflexible: For those convicted of second-degree murder, mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole was the only sentence.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
