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

Mangione had faced the possibility of receiving the death penalty if convicted on that count. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026

His defense attorneys previously tried to get the death penalty taken off the table after prosecutors were found to be in contempt of court for talking about the case to the media. — Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Robinson’s lawyers previously tried to get the death penalty off the table after the judge held prosecutors in contempt of court for publicly discussing the case before a possible trial, but the defense’s motion was unsuccessful. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2026

He was charged initially with two counts of murder, along with a special circumstance of multiple murders, which makes the case potentially eligible for the death penalty or life without parole. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026