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.
In nearly 350 cases over 20 years, just 13% ended in a death sentence. Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 9 June 2025 Yet Lee has vowed a full investigation into Yoon's martial law imposition and the reports surrounding his wife, moves that could overshadow the new government and inflame tensions as Yoon faces a high-stakes rebellion trial carrying a possible death sentence. The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 6 June 2025 Imprisoned, tortured and threatened with a death sentence, he was eventually freed thanks to pressure from a consortium of internationally influential musicians (Igor Stravinsky, György Ligeti and Herbert von Karajan among them) and returned to West Berlin. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025 For asylum seekers, being forced to return under these conditions could be tantamount to a death sentence. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 19 May 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

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Cite this Entry

“Death sentence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20sentence. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

death sentence

see sentence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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