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

Take the quiz here … LISTEN Tune in as a botched execution attempt in Tennessee reignites debate over lethal injection, alternative execution methods, and the legal challenges surrounding capital punishment. — FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Yet since the American Medical Association Code of Ethics explicitly forbids physician participation in capital punishment, executions are rarely, if ever, performed by expert clinicians. — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Tennessee, like many other states with capital punishment, keeps many details about executions secret, including how the drugs are manufactured and obtained, and any tests done on their quality. — Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Four years ago, Tennessee's governor ordered another independent review into capital punishment after abruptly stopping the April 2022 execution of Oscar Smith. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

capital punishment

noun

: death penalty