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
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers cold case investigations and the death penalty for USA TODAY.
—
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Yolo County District Attorney’s Office earlier decided not to pursue the death penalty against Dominguez.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In 2017, Holland was paid to lobby on behalf of the powerful Louisiana District Attorneys Association to stop a bill that would have eliminated the death penalty; the effort succeeded.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
As part of a plea deal to avoid the possibility of the death penalty, Kohberger also waived all of his appeal rights.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the death penalty
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.
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Yolo County District Attorney’s Office earlier decided not to pursue the death penalty against Dominguez.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
In 2017, Holland was paid to lobby on behalf of the powerful Louisiana District Attorneys Association to stop a bill that would have eliminated the death penalty; the effort succeeded.
—Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
As part of a plea deal to avoid the possibility of the death penalty, Kohberger also waived all of his appeal rights.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the death penalty
Cite this Entry
“The death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20death%20penalty. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
