noun
manslaughter
MAN-slaw-tuh
noun
1
The unlawful killing of a person without the deliberate intent required for murder, for example through negligence or in the heat of the moment.
"He was convicted of manslaughter rather than murder because there was no premeditation."
"The driver faced manslaughter charges after the fatal crash."
How to Use Manslaughter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA killing that's against the law but treated as less serious than murder because there was no clear intent to kill.
Common mistake
Don't use interchangeably with "murder" — manslaughter specifically implies a lack of premeditated intent.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
charged with manslaughter
voluntary manslaughter
involuntary manslaughter
Word Forms
manslaughters plural
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He was convicted of _____ rather than murder because there was no premeditation.
Etymology
From Middle English man + slaughter, echoing the older Old English mansliht ("killing of a person").