death row

noun

: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
usually used with on
prisoners waiting on death row

Examples of death row in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During Commissioner Hamm’s deposition, one of Grayson’s lawyers pointed out the ability for some death row inmates to acquire drugs, including his own client — and questioned whether that affected Grayson’s ability to meaningfully participate in his own defense. Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025 Texas and Alabama are poised to execute death row inmates within minutes of each other on the same day this week. Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2025 Juries in Tarrant County last year sent three defendants to death row. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2025 Wuornos was executed on Florida’s death row in 2002, having been sentenced to death 10 years earlier. Peter White, Deadline, 22 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for death row

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death row was in 1894

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death row.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20row. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

death row

noun
: a prison area housing inmates sentenced to death
death row adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!