capital punishment
noun
: punishment by death : the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes
called also death penalty
Examples of capital punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 1937, the state replaced hanging with lethal gas as the method of capital punishment.
—
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Trump, too, has taken increasingly aggressive approach toward capital punishment this year, ending former President Biden’s moratorium on federal executions on his first day back in the White House and calling for death sentences in high-profile cases.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Florida's increasing use of the death penalty remains a contentious issue, with debates persisting over the fairness of legal processes, the reliability of forensic evidence, and the moral questions surrounding capital punishment.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Prison staff, in these final two days, are inspecting all rooms and equipment in the capital punishment unit.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Dec. 2025
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Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Dec. 2025
Trump, too, has taken increasingly aggressive approach toward capital punishment this year, ending former President Biden’s moratorium on federal executions on his first day back in the White House and calling for death sentences in high-profile cases.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2025
Florida's increasing use of the death penalty remains a contentious issue, with debates persisting over the fairness of legal processes, the reliability of forensic evidence, and the moral questions surrounding capital punishment.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Prison staff, in these final two days, are inspecting all rooms and equipment in the capital punishment unit.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Dec. 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 29 Dec. 2025.
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