capital punishment
noun
: punishment by death : the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes
an opponent of capital punishment
Examples of capital punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Listen to this article The Connecticut legislature’s Judiciary Committee has voted to advance a proposal that would penalize companies that manufacture and sell drugs or devices that can be used in capital punishment.
—
Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 15 May 2025
While Tehran portrays such actions as necessary to defend national security against foreign infiltration, critics often raise concerns about due process and the use of capital punishment.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Public support for the death penalty is declining, and several states with capital punishment have not carried out executions in years.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, death penalty advocates are speaking out against the federal government’s decision to pursue capital punishment.
—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capital punishment
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 15 May 2025
While Tehran portrays such actions as necessary to defend national security against foreign infiltration, critics often raise concerns about due process and the use of capital punishment.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Public support for the death penalty is declining, and several states with capital punishment have not carried out executions in years.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, death penalty advocates are speaking out against the federal government’s decision to pursue capital punishment.
—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for capital punishment
Cite this Entry
“Capital punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital%20punishment. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share