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.
For example, a 10-year sentence may be reduced to five years, or a death sentence changed to life imprisonment. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 The death sentence has been used only twice in Israeli history. Matt Bradley, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025 With these words, the jailer confirmed the notion that the right circumstances had occurred for a death sentence to be given. Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 Smithers' current attorneys most recently argued that executing an elderly person violates his constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment and no longer served the initial purpose of his death sentence. Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025 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 25 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

death sentence

see sentence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!