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
After reviewing the evidence, Freitas said, prosecutors concluded the case warranted capital punishment.
—
Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Mangione's lawyers argue the charges enabling prosecutors to seek capital punishment are technically flawed and that the government prejudiced Mangione by publicly declaring its intent before obtaining an indictment.
—Michael R. Sisak, Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026
Since the court did not outlaw capital punishment under any circumstance, states that wanted to be able to seek the death penalty went to work to craft new laws that could address the various issues raised by the justices.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
If convicted as charged, Reiner could face a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole, though a decision hasn’t been made on whether to seek capital punishment.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for capital punishment
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Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Mangione's lawyers argue the charges enabling prosecutors to seek capital punishment are technically flawed and that the government prejudiced Mangione by publicly declaring its intent before obtaining an indictment.
—Michael R. Sisak, Arkansas Online, 24 Jan. 2026
Since the court did not outlaw capital punishment under any circumstance, states that wanted to be able to seek the death penalty went to work to craft new laws that could address the various issues raised by the justices.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
If convicted as charged, Reiner could face a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole, though a decision hasn’t been made on whether to seek capital punishment.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 16 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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