cruel and unusual punishment

noun

: punishment that is very harsh and too severe for the crime

The law forbids cruel and unusual punishment.

Examples of cruel and unusual punishment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2024, the court said fining or jailing someone for sleeping outside when there are no available shelter beds doesn’t violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. —Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Feb. 2026

The federal-court case raises issues about Walls' chronic health problems and Florida's lethal injection process and contends that putting him to death would violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. —Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

In 2018, a judge ordered that a Texas prison’s sweltering conditions amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025

McClure’s is one of at least eight North Carolina cases affected by what federal public defenders say are unconstitutional conditions that violate protections against cruel and unusual punishment. —Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025

Legal Definition

cruel and unusual punishment

noun

cruel and un·​usu·​al punishment

: punishment that is offensive to the contemporary morality or jurisprudence (as by being degrading, inflicting unnecessary and intentional pain, or being disproportionate to the offense)

nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted

—U.S. Constitution amend. VIII

see also Gregg v. Georgia compare corporal punishment, death penalty

Note: A cruel and unusual punishment is essentially one that the courts consider to violate the Eighth Amendment based on a variety of criteria. The interpretation of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment has changed over time and has varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most forms of corporal punishment formerly used at common law have been found to be cruel and unusual punishments.