What does the word “murder” mean? When the word murder comes to mind many people suggest a shooting, stabbing or beating to death. Murder is the worst crime one can commit. There are levels to the crime of murder as well, first degree, second degree and third degree. The degrees of murder are all different, either it was manslaughter, murder or justifiable murder. All these involve a death, whether it was accidental, justified or not. This word is used commonly and has been looked at as one big picture for centuries now, the picture is someone dying by another’s hand. Murder is given by society such a narrow window of an act, it is much more broad, rather than someone killing another out of malice. The truest clear cut meaning of this word …show more content…
Whereas in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of murder is “the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought.” Merriam-Webster, though this definition seems to many the right definition, it is not completely. Here in the Oxford English Dictionary the definition for this word is simple and straight “The action or an act of killing.” (OED). Killing another is not always a crime, in a case where it is kill or be killed, and to survive another person must die, it is legal. In Colorado there is a law called, “Make My Day” law (Avvo). This law gives Colorado residents the right to shoot and kill an intruder if they believe the person intends to commit a crime and use physical force. Murder can be said in context of when someone may be angry and say something along the lines of “I’m going to murder them” and not mean it. This word has a very serious meaning to it and sometimes can be thrown around