third-degree adjective 3third degree noun 1 adjective3 •At the third level of some system •The least severe level of felony, typically involving a lack of planning and/or the presence of various mitigating factors.The jury found him guilty of third-degree murder since he had only meant to beat the clown, not to kill him. •An extremely severe level of damage, typically involving major scarring and damage to subcutaneous tissue as well as the epidermis. third degree noun1 •(informal) Intensive rough interrogation in order to extract information or a confessionWhen I came home at 4 a.m., my dad really gave me the third degree.
