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
Life imprisonment is the harshest punishment available in New Zealand, which abolished the death penalty in 1989.
—
Reuters 14 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
The state of Missouri has a list of statutory aggravating circumstances that must be present before pursuing the death penalty.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025
The Fayette County District Attorney’s Office announced its intent on Friday to seek the death penalty against Kourtney Eutsey and Sarah Shipley, if the Pittsburgh area foster parents are convicted on first-degree murder charges.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Reverend Jeff Hood, who has been fighting to abolish the death penalty for the last 15 years, recently held a press conference to speak out against Mangione’s death penalty charge.
—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the death penalty
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Reuters 14 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 2025
The state of Missouri has a list of statutory aggravating circumstances that must be present before pursuing the death penalty.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025
The Fayette County District Attorney’s Office announced its intent on Friday to seek the death penalty against Kourtney Eutsey and Sarah Shipley, if the Pittsburgh area foster parents are convicted on first-degree murder charges.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
Reverend Jeff Hood, who has been fighting to abolish the death penalty for the last 15 years, recently held a press conference to speak out against Mangione’s death penalty charge.
—Lorena O'Neil, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
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 1 Dec. 2025.
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