US
: the level of a crime that is the most serious and warranting the most severe punishment
first-de·gree
ˈfərst-di-ˈgrē 
1
US
: of the most serious type : warranting the harshest punishment
first-degree murder/theft/arson
2
: of the least harmful or mildest type
first-degree frostbite
see also first-degree burn
Examples of first degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Prosecutors hope that at the end of that marathon, the jury will convict the 44-year-old Millete of first degree murder.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for first 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.
Noun
Leahy, 31, was charged with murder in the first degree with a deadly weapon enhancement on Monday, May 18, the prosecuting attorney's office tells PEOPLE.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Prosecutors hope that at the end of that marathon, the jury will convict the 44-year-old Millete of first degree murder.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Adjective
Alexander Martinez-Armstrong was arrested on investigation of first-degree murder in the boy’s death and booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Center, where he was being held Monday without bail, according to county inmate records.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for first degree
Cite this Entry
“First degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20degree. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
first-degree
adjective
: of the lowest or mildest in a series of categories : characterized by or causing the least harmful level of injury
a first-degree laceration
see also first-degree burn compare second-degree, third-degree
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
