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
South Korea has not executed a death-row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment and popular calls for its abolition.
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ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.
—CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Our Founders knew well that only capital punishment can bring justice and restore order in response to such evil.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
Death penalty reform activist Reverend Jeff Hood responded to the news of the capital punishment charges being dropped in a statement to Rolling Stone.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for capital punishment
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ABC News, 23 Feb. 2026
South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen as a de facto moratorium on capital punishment amid calls for its abolition.
—CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Our Founders knew well that only capital punishment can bring justice and restore order in response to such evil.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 17 Feb. 2026
Death penalty reform activist Reverend Jeff Hood responded to the news of the capital punishment charges being dropped in a statement to Rolling Stone.
—Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
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 2 Mar. 2026.
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