in the first degree
idiom
: of the most serious type : deserving the harshest punishment
She was accused of murder in the first degree.
Examples of in the first degree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The decision to dismiss the two top charges against Mangione – murder in the first degree in furtherance of an act of terrorism and murder in the second degree as a crime of terrorism – marked a victory for the 27-year-old.
—
Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
He will be charged with murder in the first degree!
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Hernandez was charged with criminal attempt murder, abandonment of a child, cruelty to children in the first degree and reckless conduct, the CGPD said.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Campbell is serving a 32-year prison sentence for causing the infant's injuries after pleading no contest in 2010 to battery in the first degree.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first degree
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Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
He will be charged with murder in the first degree!
—Kate Plummer
shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Hernandez was charged with criminal attempt murder, abandonment of a child, cruelty to children in the first degree and reckless conduct, the CGPD said.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Campbell is serving a 32-year prison sentence for causing the infant's injuries after pleading no contest in 2010 to battery in the first degree.
—Arkansas Online, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in the first degree
Cite this Entry
“In the first degree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20first%20degree. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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