From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsecond-degree murder/assault/burglary etcsecond-degree murder/assault/burglary etcAmerican English a crime that is less serious than the most serious type, especially because it was not planned → first-degree → second-degree
Examples from the Corpus
second-degree murder/assault/burglary etc• After psychiatric evaluations found that he was competent to stand trial, Harwood pleaded guilty July 16 to second-degree murder.• Bach, 13, was arrested late last month and charged with second-degree murder.• Davis was arrested weeks later and convicted of second-degree assault.• Kravitz reduced the charge to second-degree murder.• Last week, she won her freedom after agreeing not to contest charges of second-degree murder.• A 16-year-old black youth, Lemrick Nelson, was later charged with second-degree murder in relation to the stabbing.• He faces a count of second-degree murder in the Nov. 10 shooting death of Brad Hansen, also 13.• However, the degree of severity of the indictment, which could range from negligent homicide to second-degree murder, remains unclear. 