lesser included offense

English

Alternative forms

• lesser included offence (UK)

Noun

lesser included offense (plural lesser included offenses)

1. (law) 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.