death penalty

noun

: death as punishment for a crime : capital punishment

—used with the

Prosecutors recommended the death penalty.

Examples of death penalty in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Justice Department announced a series of actions on Friday aimed at restoring and expanding the use of the federal death penalty, including new execution methods and efforts to speed up capital cases. —Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026

The special circumstances could potentially make this a death penalty case. —Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 23 Apr. 2026

Advocacy groups, including the Equal Justice Initiative, have raised concerns about fairness and due process in death penalty cases. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Future dangerousness is a key question in death penalty cases in Texas, according to state law. —Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026

But special circumstances can make this case into a life sentence without the possibility of parole, and death penalty eligible. —Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026

Forbes said death penalty decisions are taking place in other cases under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, following the April 2 firing of Pam Bondi. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026

Others have been prosecuted under a counterterrorism law that carries a potential death penalty and has been used to target political and armed opponents, journalists and other dissenters. —ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026

In 1972, the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia’s death penalty as then applied was arbitrary and discriminatory, forcing all states to rewrite their laws and beef up their systems to provide for death row defense lawyers. —The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

death penalty

noun

: death as punishment for a crime

called also capital punishment

see also cruel and unusual punishment, Gregg v. Georgia

Note: The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the death penalty is not inherently violative of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, provided that the method is not deemed cruel and that the punishment is not excessive in relation to the crime. A statute mandating the death penalty is unconstitutional, however. A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances before imposing the death penalty for a crime.