US
: the level of a crime that is the most serious and warranting the most severe punishment
first-de·gree
ˈfərst-di-ˈgrē 
1
US
: of the most serious type : warranting the harshest punishment
first-degree murder/theft/arson
2
: of the least harmful or mildest type
first-degree frostbite
see also first-degree burn
Examples of first degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Represented by a public defender at Monday’s first court appearance, Dawkins entered a not guilty plea to a charge of first degree murder.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Curd agreed to a plea deal of two concurrent sentences of 25 years in prison for facilitation of first degree murder and testified against Jenelle and Barbara.
—Katie O'Brien, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Brad Duncan was found guilty in 2023 of first degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, and was sentenced to 34 years in prison.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Bobby Banks, Leonard Banks and Wiley Belt have now all been arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping and rape, all in the first degree, in connection with the case, according to authorities.
—Sara Smart, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
At others, students may need to be state residents or pursuing their first degree.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024
The home’s former owner, Larry D. Acree, has been charged with multiple felony counts, including two charges of first degree murder, for the deaths of Mack and Independence Police Officer Cody Allen.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024
Shaw, who initially survived, was charged with first degree murder.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
Noun
Now, a new Netflix documentary, What Jennifer Did, released today (April 10), examines how Pan went from a star pianist as a child to her conviction for first degree murder, based on incriminating text messages and interviews with detectives involved in the case.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 10 Apr. 2024
Represented by a public defender at Monday’s first court appearance, Dawkins entered a not guilty plea to a charge of first degree murder.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Curd agreed to a plea deal of two concurrent sentences of 25 years in prison for facilitation of first degree murder and testified against Jenelle and Barbara.
—Katie O'Brien, ABC News, 5 Apr. 2024
Brad Duncan was found guilty in 2023 of first degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon, and was sentenced to 34 years in prison.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024
Bobby Banks, Leonard Banks and Wiley Belt have now all been arrested and charged with murder, kidnapping and rape, all in the first degree, in connection with the case, according to authorities.
—Sara Smart, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
At others, students may need to be state residents or pursuing their first degree.
—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024
The home’s former owner, Larry D. Acree, has been charged with multiple felony counts, including two charges of first degree murder, for the deaths of Mack and Independence Police Officer Cody Allen.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 Mar. 2024
Shaw, who initially survived, was charged with first degree murder.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first degree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near first degree
Cite this Entry
“First degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20degree. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
first-degree
adjective
: of the lowest or mildest in a series of categories : characterized by or causing the least harmful level of injury
a first-degree laceration
see also first-degree burn compare second-degree, third-degree
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