Phrase guide

first-degree murder

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The criminal offence of murder in a form considered by law to be the most serious; the precise distinction may vary by jurisdiction but typically involves premeditation, or the choice of victim or other circumstances being regarded as especially blameworthy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An act that constitutes the crime of first-degree murder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: moord — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Bulgarian: предуми́шлено уби́йство (predumíšleno ubíjstvo) — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一級謀殺罪 /一级谋杀罪 (yījí móushāzuì) — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Danish: mord — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Finnish: murha — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • French: assassinat — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • French: meurtre au premier degré — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • French: meurtre prémédité — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Hungarian: előre megfontolt szándékkal elkövetett emberölés — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Norwegian: overlagt drap — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Polish: morderstwo pierwszego stopnia — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Portuguese: homicídio doloso premeditado — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Russian: предумы́шленное уби́йство (predumýšlennoje ubíjstvo) — premeditated or especially serious murder
  • Russian: уби́йство пе́рвой сте́пени (ubíjstvo pérvoj stépeni) — premeditated or especially serious murder