German

Noun

Totschlag m ‎(genitive Totschlags or Totschlages, no plural)

1. (law) manslaughter; second-degree murder; an unlawful killing of a person which is subject to a milder punishment than murder

Usage notes

• The specific definition of Totschlag is distinct from the understanding of “manslaughter” in the Anglophone world. It also varies somewhat between the respective German-speaking countries. Generally, however, Totschlag is an intentional killing that lacks certain aggravating properties. A typical case example of Totschlag is a killing in the heat of the moment.
• In informal contexts, Totschlag is often improperly distinguished from Mord ‎(“murder”) or merged with it. Speakers are likely to use Mord for cases that do not legally qualify as murder.

Declension

Synonyms

• Tötung; Bluttat (synonyms in non-technical use only)

Derived terms

• Totschläger
• totschlagen
• Mord und Totschlag

See also

• fahrlässige Tötung
• Kapitalverbrechen
• Mord