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
This influence was brought up at sentencing by Clarence Darrow, the pair’s legendary defense attorney, whose hours-long closing argument was considered key to avoiding the death penalty.
—
Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
As remorseless killers who had taken a life in cold blood, the two deserved the death penalty, in his view.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2024
On the opposite end, the most hostile countries remain Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chechnya, and Afghanistan, all of which still practice the death penalty for homosexuality.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024
That same year Proposition 66 passed, voters rejected Proposition 62, which would have abolished the death penalty.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
He is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
In 2023, McCraney was tried for capital murder with the possibility of receiving the death penalty.
—Marcus Mewborn, ABC News, 10 May 2024
For instance, countries that still punish homosexuality with the death penalty get more deductions than countries that have the death penalty but don’t act on it.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is not seeking the death penalty in any of its current cases.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024
As remorseless killers who had taken a life in cold blood, the two deserved the death penalty, in his view.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2024
On the opposite end, the most hostile countries remain Saudi Arabia, Iran, Chechnya, and Afghanistan, all of which still practice the death penalty for homosexuality.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024
That same year Proposition 66 passed, voters rejected Proposition 62, which would have abolished the death penalty.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
He is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
In 2023, McCraney was tried for capital murder with the possibility of receiving the death penalty.
—Marcus Mewborn, ABC News, 10 May 2024
For instance, countries that still punish homosexuality with the death penalty get more deductions than countries that have the death penalty but don’t act on it.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2024
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is not seeking the death penalty in any of its current cases.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the death penalty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the death penalty
Cite this Entry
“The death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20death%20penalty. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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