involuntary manslaughter

noun

: manslaughter resulting from the failure to perform a legal duty expressly required to safeguard human life, from the commission of an unlawful act not constituting a felony, or from the commission of a lawful act in a negligent or improper manner

Examples of involuntary manslaughter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Baldwin was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting, but three days into his 2024 trial, all charges against him were dismissed with prejudice after the judge found that authorities had deliberately withheld evidence from his attorneys. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026 The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Hutchins’s death and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2026 In the aftermath of the fatal shooting on the film’s Santa Fe set, Baldwin faced a felony involuntary manslaughter count that was dramatically dismissed at trial. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 More than one year after the fatal on-set shooting, Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies and special prosecutor Andrea Reeb announced in January 2023 that Baldwin and Rust's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed would both be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for involuntary manslaughter

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of involuntary manslaughter was in 1792

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Cite this Entry

“Involuntary manslaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involuntary%20manslaughter. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

involuntary manslaughter

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