death sentence

noun

1
: a sentence condemning a convicted defendant to death
2
: an affliction or a situation that is considered to be fatal
also : a prognosis of death

Examples of death sentence in a Sentence

She received a death sentence for the murders.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Decades-long legal battle The Supreme Court decision to overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence last year marked a major turning point in his decades-long legal battle. Linh Tran, CNN Money, 14 May 2026 House Majority Leader Monica Duran on Wednesday moved to delay a final vote on Senate Bill 43 until Thursday — effectively a death sentence, given that the legislature will not be in session then. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 14 May 2026 Decades of feeling justice from Chatman’s death sentence, LoBue said, evaporated after Rosen’s actions. Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026 The highway death rate back then was around five deaths or less per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, which is higher than today, but hardly a death sentence. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for death sentence

Word History

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of death sentence was in 1655

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20sentence. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

Legal Definition

death sentence

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