cruel and unusual punishment

noun

: punishment that is very harsh and too severe for the crime

The law forbids cruel and unusual punishment.

Examples of cruel and unusual punishment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a cost estimate analysis document, the department said deliberately failing to address medical needs of inmates would violate the 8th Amendment and constitute cruel and unusual punishment. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025

Requiring excessive bail would violate the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which limits cruel and unusual punishment. —Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025

The lawsuit accuses Webster of violating her federal constitutional rights through use of excessive force, cruel and unusual punishment and deprivation of due process by unlawfully detaining and sodomizing her. —Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Legal Definition

cruel and unusual punishment

noun

cruel and un·​usu·​al punishment

: punishment that is offensive to the contemporary morality or jurisprudence (as by being degrading, inflicting unnecessary and intentional pain, or being disproportionate to the offense)

nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted

—U.S. Constitution amend. VIII

see also Gregg v. Georgia compare corporal punishment, death penalty

Note: A cruel and unusual punishment is essentially one that the courts consider to violate the Eighth Amendment based on a variety of criteria. The interpretation of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment has changed over time and has varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most forms of corporal punishment formerly used at common law have been found to be cruel and unusual punishments.