the death penalty

noun

: death as a punishment given by a court of law for very serious crimes : capital punishment

If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

She opposes the death penalty.

Examples of the death penalty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As with past elections, ProCon will track candidates’ positions on issues including the death penalty, artificial intelligence, and mail-in voting. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026

Tinkler Mendez is presiding over the case of Alberto Sierra, who is facing the death penalty for murdering his estranged wife and her two daughters with a plastic bag. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

The state is getting closer to last year's 19 executions, which was a record in Florida since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. — CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026

Barber eventually pleaded guilty as part of a deal to avoid the death penalty, and was sentenced to 60 years for the murder. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026