manslaughter
n. uncountablen. the crime of killing someone without planning to do it first. It is different from murder because the person did not intend to kill the victim.
n. the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, either expressed or implied. It is distinguished from murder by the absence of premeditation or specific intent to cause death.
The driver was charged with manslaughter after the tragic accident.
The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, concluding that the defendant acted with extreme negligence but without intent.
Legal scholars often distinguish between voluntary manslaughter, involving a sudden heat of passion, and involuntary manslaughter, which typically arises from reckless or criminally negligent conduct.
From Middle English manslaȝter, manslauter, equivalent to man + slaughter, or taken as an adaptation of Old English mansliht (“murder; killing of a person”), from mann (“person”) + sliht (“killing”), see manslaught. Cognate with Scots manslauchter (“homicide”). Compare also Old Frisian monslaga (“murder”).
Uncountable when referring to the legal category of crime; can be countable when referring to specific legal counts in a trial.