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
Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
Bennett has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes in the shooting, the prosecutor’s office said.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
Both men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree kidnapping, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and assault.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-degree
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Adjective
Jurors found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, the top charge, but guilty of a lesser offense of operating a vehicle under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or greater.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
Bennett has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes in the shooting, the prosecutor’s office said.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
Noun
Jeffrey Ferguson, now 74, was convicted of second degree murder for fatally shooting his wife, Sheryl, with a concealed carry Glock .40-caliber pistol while the two were watching television with their adult son in August 2023.
—Sean Emery, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
Both men have pleaded not guilty to first-degree kidnapping, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and assault.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 11 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
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