Meaning & use
attempted murder
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablelegal
The crime of trying to kill another person deliberately but failing to do so.
Grammar: Not used with a: he was charged with attempted murder.
Patterns
- charged with attempted murder
- convicted of attempted murder
The man was charged with attempted murder after the stabbing.
She was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to twelve years.
Police investigated the fire as attempted murder.
Common combinations
- charged with attempted murder
- He was charged with attempted murder on Monday.
- convicted of attempted murder
- The suspect was convicted of attempted murder.
- accused of attempted murder
- Two men are accused of attempted murder.
- attempted murder charge
- He faces an attempted murder charge.
- acquitted of attempted murder
- The jury acquitted her of attempted murder.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attempted homicide
- Attempted homicide is the formal version used in some legal systems and is nearly the same in meaning.
- assault with intent to kill
- This phrase describes the same act in some jurisdictions but spells out the intent.
- attempted killing
- Attempted killing is plainer, news-style language and is not a formal legal term.
Word family
Commonly confused: attempted murder or manslaughter?
attempted murder vs manslaughter
Manslaughter is killing someone without planned intent, while attempted murder means the person did not die and the intent to kill existed.
Practice
What must have happened for a crime to be called attempted murder?
Choose one answer.
Attempted murder means trying to kill someone and failing. If the victim dies, the crime may be murder or manslaughter instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “attempted murder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.