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.
Alabama's governor earlier this month saved a 75-year-old inmate from execution who had received a death sentence for a similar crime. ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026 Overgrazing a death sentence to the business. Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026 Williams’ 2000 death sentence was reduced to life without parole because the boy has a severe intellectual disability, according to court documents. Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026 Getting shut out of them entirely can feel like a dating death sentence. Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Death sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20sentence. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Legal Definition

death sentence

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