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
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 murder through the use of a firearm charge carried a possible death penalty sentence. — Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 Florida’s uptick in executions is due, in part, to the state’s new death penalty laws. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 The federal murder charge was death penalty eligible. — Adam Sabes , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2026 The charge of premeditated murder carries a possible death penalty. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for death penalty

Word History

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death penalty was in 1836

Browse Nearby Words

death metal
death penalty
death penny
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Cite this Entry

“Death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20penalty. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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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.

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