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

The judge found that Cozzi’s murder was cold, calculated and premeditated and committed for financial gain, which makes Kosowski eligible for the death penalty. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the death penalty in the case under a new law applying capital punishment to terrorism and nationalistic murders. — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026

The state only had to prove one aggravating factor to make Cozzi eligible for the death penalty. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Their laws prescribed the death penalty for anyone who helped a stranger; after giving bread to a poor man, Lot’s daughter was immolated on a pyre. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026