involuntary manslaughter

noun

: manslaughter resulting from the failure to perform a legal duty expressly required to safeguard human life, from the commission of an unlawful act not constituting a felony, or from the commission of a lawful act in a negligent or improper manner

Examples of involuntary manslaughter in a Sentence

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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.
But Kennedy’s film is not a straight retelling of the shooting nor of Baldwin’s criminal cases, which included a 2023 involuntary manslaughter charge that prosecutors later dropped and the second involuntary manslaughter charge that went to trial. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026 The charges were later upgraded to involuntary manslaughter after the man died, authorities said. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 The jury in the trial of James Barnett The jury could not come to a unanimous decision on whether to convict Barnett of second-degree arson, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges in the case. — Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Platte County prosecutors have charged Brian David Martin with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action in what appears to be a road-rage incident that ended in a fatal crash. — Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for involuntary manslaughter

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of involuntary manslaughter was in 1792

Rhymes for involuntary manslaughter

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Involuntary manslaughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/involuntary%20manslaughter. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

involuntary manslaughter

see also:
manslaughter
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