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
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The woman’s husband, Lloyd Matthew McKenzie, 52, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault, according to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Antonio Durant, 33, was convicted of three counts of second degree murder in the deaths of Gino Houchins, 21, of Vallejo, and Marcus Fuller Jr., 29, and Dante Johnson, 31, both of Oakland.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-degree
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Adjective
In another ding-dong-ditch prank in 2025, a Virginia 18-year-old was shot and killed in May and a homeowner charged with crimes including second-degree murder.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
The woman’s husband, Lloyd Matthew McKenzie, 52, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault, according to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
—Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
In May, a Virginia man was charged with second degree murder for fatally shooting an 18-year-old filming the prank for TikTok, The New York Times reported.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Antonio Durant, 33, was convicted of three counts of second degree murder in the deaths of Gino Houchins, 21, of Vallejo, and Marcus Fuller Jr., 29, and Dante Johnson, 31, both of Oakland.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 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 8 Sep. 2025.
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