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
In the wake of the white community demanding more punishment, the Kentucky General Assembly amended the death penalty statute to allow juries to sentence a rapist to hang in the county seat where the crime was committed.
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Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The victim’s family opposed the death penalty.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the murder charges weeks before his case was scheduled to go to trial to avoid the death penalty.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
By jumping forward to 1994 and Gacy’s — spoiler alert — execution, the finale is able to bring together many of the survivors and family members of the victims for what could almost be a one-act play meditating on the ethical and spiritual thorniness of the death penalty.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the death penalty
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Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The victim’s family opposed the death penalty.
—Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2025
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to the murder charges weeks before his case was scheduled to go to trial to avoid the death penalty.
—Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
By jumping forward to 1994 and Gacy’s — spoiler alert — execution, the finale is able to bring together many of the survivors and family members of the victims for what could almost be a one-act play meditating on the ethical and spiritual thorniness of the death penalty.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 2025.
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