sec·ond-degree
ˈse-kən(d)-di-ˈgrē 
-kᵊŋ-
1
US, of a crime
: of a level of seriousness that is less than first degree : warranting punishment but not the most severe punishment
second-degree assault/murder
2
: causing or characterized by a moderate level of injury
a second-degree concussion
see also second-degree burn
US
: the level of a crime that is less than first degree and warrants less severe punishment
He was charged with assault in the second degree.
Examples of second-degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
He was booked into jail by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on one count of second-degree murder, according to court documents.
—Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Deshawn Tyson, 26, and Charles Gaston III, 29, were charged with two counts of murder and one count of second degree robbery, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-degree
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Adjective
As Kraus left the interview at the news station, police in Albany arrested him on two counts each of second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
He was booked into jail by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on one count of second-degree murder, according to court documents.
—Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
Twenty-five years to life for murder in the second degree, plus twelve and a half to twenty-five years for the kidnapping, and twelve and a half to twenty-five years for the robbery.
—John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Deshawn Tyson, 26, and Charles Gaston III, 29, were charged with two counts of murder and one count of second degree robbery, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-degree
Cite this Entry
“Second-degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-degree. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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