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
Kohberger took a plea deal in July, avoiding the death penalty in exchange for a life sentence.
—
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the judge heard arguments over Mangione’s motion to dismiss two charges from the indictment, including a murder charge that carries the death penalty.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
That charge allows the federal government to seek the death penalty.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Tehran’s prosecutor declared that protesters could face the death penalty.
—Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 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.
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
On Friday, the judge heard arguments over Mangione’s motion to dismiss two charges from the indictment, including a murder charge that carries the death penalty.
—Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
That charge allows the federal government to seek the death penalty.
—Christina Fan, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Tehran’s prosecutor declared that protesters could face the death penalty.
—Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 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 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share