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

Serial killer Clifton Bloomfield unsuccessfully sought to withdraw guilty pleas after admitting to five murders in New Mexico to avoid capital punishment. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Earlier this month, two other young men—a 19-year-old Iranian and a 24-year-old Afghan national—were executed in connection with the same events, and a dozen more people face capital punishment for them. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Decisions on matters such as war, citizenship, exile and capital punishment were made in the assemblies and courts, where citizens heard contending speeches and voted immediately afterwards. — Richard Yanowitch, Mercury News, 29 July 2026

Since Burke is charged with murder with special circumstances, he can only be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole or capital punishment if convicted. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

capital punishment

noun

: death penalty