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capital punishment
noun
: punishment by death : the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes
an opponent of capital punishment
Examples of capital punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Islamic Republic has a long history of using capital punishment to deter political unrest.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 29 May 2024
And in the decades after the Holocaust, Jews were presumed to be against capital punishment.
—Tim Arango, New York Times, 13 May 2024
Amid a shortage of lethal injections made available for capital punishment, the state has turned to nitrogen hypoxia as another potential option.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 May 2024
In recent years, the Supreme Court has held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits juvenile life without parole and capital punishment for those who committed offenses as juveniles.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr. 2024
In his view, this causes capital punishment to violate due process.
—Ron Matthias, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The death penalty has amassed widespread public support in Japan, with a 2019 poll of citizens showing that over 80% of respondents believed capital punishment was necessary.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
Smith is to be the first convict executed by the state in 2024 and Oklahoma's 12th execution since capital punishment resumed in 2021.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
Smith would be the first person executed in the state this year and the 12th since capital punishment resumed in 2021.
—USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'capital punishment.' 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
“Capital punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital%20punishment. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Legal Definition
capital punishment
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on capital punishment
Britannica English: Translation of capital punishment for Arabic Speakers
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