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

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.

The jury recommended, and a federal district court imposed, the death penalty on six of 17 capital counts. —

Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2024 The new federal charges put him at risk of the death penalty. —

Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024 Murder by firearm carries the possibility of the death penalty, though federal prosecutors will determine whether to pursue that path in coming months. —

Mark Scolforo, arkansasonline.com, 20 Dec. 2024 Luigi Mangione returned to New York in shackles on Thursday, Dec. 19, to face murder charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson that could lead to the death penalty. —

Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for the death penalty

Cite this Entry

Style

“The death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20death%20penalty. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation