death row

noun

: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
usually used with on
prisoners waiting on death row

Examples of death row in a Sentence

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.
While Aguirre is still on death row, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in March 2019 that the state would have a moratorium on capital punishment, meaning Aguirre’s execution date is yet to be determined. Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 24 May 2025 There are 46 people currently on the state's death row, according to the not-for-profit Death Penalty Information Center, which researches and collects data on the death penalty. CBS News, 22 May 2025 His remaining legal avenues include a challenge to the constitutionality of lethal injection, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new pleading filed Monday, which challenges the quality of the legal representation death row inmates receive from the state. Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2025 South Carolina Department of Corrections/AP One month before Mahdi was shot, on March 7, another South Carolina death row prisoner, Brad Sigmon, became the first person to die by the state's firing squad. Chiara Eisner, NPR, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for death row

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death row was in 1894

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death row.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20row. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

death row

noun
: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
death row adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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