second-degree murder
"Second-degree murder" is a legal term used primarily in the US and Canada to describe a serious, intentional killing that lacks the premeditation required for first-degree murder.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Criminal Law
(legal, formal)An intentional killing that is not planned in advance.
Example
- The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder because the killing was intentional but not premeditated.
C1Criminal Law
(legal, formal)A homicide resulting from an act intended to cause serious bodily harm or showing reckless disregard for human life.
Example
- She was charged with second-degree murder after the fatal assault demonstrated a reckless indifference to human life.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "second-degree murder":