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
If convicted of capital murder, Hernandez, Vasquez and Ma Ney Gay would have been sentenced to life without parole, the automatic punishment in cases in which a district attorney’s office waives the death penalty.
—
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Dorsey’s scheduled execution comes at a moment of flux for Missouri, which was an epicenter of executions a decade ago and now has dueling efforts in its state Legislature to expand the death penalty and abolish it.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
If found guilty, Daybell could face the death penalty — a punishment that would be up to the jury to decide, prompting attorneys to ask potential jurors their views on the death penalty as well as the case.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is pursuing hate crime charges and the death penalty for Long.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
There have been 75 men and one woman executed in Georgia since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
If convicted of capital murder charges, such cases in Alabama hold the possibility of the death penalty.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Governor Brown had previously signed into law a major narrowing of murderous acts which qualify one for the death penalty here, and ordered the dismantling of Oregon’s execution chamber.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024
View in new tab Are Preston Lord's attackers facing the death penalty?
—Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Dorsey’s scheduled execution comes at a moment of flux for Missouri, which was an epicenter of executions a decade ago and now has dueling efforts in its state Legislature to expand the death penalty and abolish it.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
If found guilty, Daybell could face the death penalty — a punishment that would be up to the jury to decide, prompting attorneys to ask potential jurors their views on the death penalty as well as the case.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 2 Apr. 2024
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is pursuing hate crime charges and the death penalty for Long.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
There have been 75 men and one woman executed in Georgia since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
—Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
If convicted of capital murder charges, such cases in Alabama hold the possibility of the death penalty.
—Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024
Governor Brown had previously signed into law a major narrowing of murderous acts which qualify one for the death penalty here, and ordered the dismantling of Oregon’s execution chamber.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024
View in new tab Are Preston Lord's attackers facing the death penalty?
—Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the death penalty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“The death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20death%20penalty. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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