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

If Dumerlus is sentenced to the maximum penalty (Trump would surely prefer the death penalty, but Canada opposes it), the country with the maple leaf will be viewed favorably by the president. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026

Rodriguez and Macarat, if convicted, each have the potential to become the first person in the United States sentenced to death for a crime other than murder since the death penalty was reinstituted in 1976, experts say. — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026

Last year, Vietnam removed the death penalty for eight offenses including embezzlement. — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 18 June 2026

Headed into the announcement, any chance of a legislative repeal of the death penalty appeared unlikely. — CBS News, 18 June 2026