lesser included offense

noun

A crime the elements of which coincide with the elements of a more serious crime, from which the prosecutor is therefore precluded from separately charging a criminal defendant.

“A robbery is an assault combined with a theft; a person can not be criminally charged with both the robbery and the assault that occurred during the robbery; the assault is a lesser included offense.”

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Meanings

nounlesser included offense (plural lesser included offenses)

plural lesser included offenses · alternative lesser included offence

  1. lawA crime the elements of which coincide with the elements of a more serious crime, from which the prosecutor is therefore precluded from separately charging a criminal defendant.

    A robbery is an assault combined with a theft; a person can not be criminally charged with both the robbery and the assault that occurred during the robbery; the assault is a lesser included offense.

Cite this entry
APA

lesser included offense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesser%20included%20offense

MLA

“lesser included offense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesser%20included%20offense. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lesser included offense,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesser%20included%20offense.

Source: lesser included offense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.