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
Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
Thompson was arrested weeks later and charged with individual counts of second-degree murder and carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Adair’s death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner, and a Wyandotte County deputy has been charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-degree
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Ronald Exantus, 42, served seven years of a 20-year prison sentence in Woodford County after he was found guilty in 2018 on two counts of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault in relation to the death of Logan Tipton.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Oct. 2025
Thompson was arrested weeks later and charged with individual counts of second-degree murder and carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
Cobb was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree and cruelty to children in the second degree, both felonies, police said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Adair’s death was ruled a homicide by a medical examiner, and a Wyandotte County deputy has been charged with second degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share