What does the term "attempted murder" legally indicate?

The term "attempted murder" legally indicates actions taken toward completing the crime of murder, which are significant enough to warrant prosecution. This charge arises when an individual has taken substantial steps toward carrying out the act of killing another person, but ultimately does not succeed in completing the act.

Attempted murder involves not just the intent to kill, but also an overt act that demonstrates that intent. For a prosecutor to charge an individual with attempted murder, there needs to be evidence showing that the accused had the specific intent to commit murder and took definitive actions to achieve this goal. This makes it distinct from merely a thought or plan without any action. The law recognizes attempted murder as a serious offense because it reflects a clear intention to commit a violent crime, even if the intended outcome was not successfully accomplished.

In contrast, some of the other responses do not capture the full legal nuance of attempted murder. For example, although a failed serious violent crime may lead to an attempted murder charge, the wording does not adequately convey the necessary element of intent and action. Terms like "accepted as a crime without specific statutes" are misleading because attempted murder is well-defined within criminal law, and there are indeed statutes governing it. Finally, suggesting that it is only prosecutable if consequences