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

No matter how one views the death penalty, the grisly details of this tragic incident should — to use a phrase coined by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter — shock the conscience. — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

John Mills, a lawyer who represents people facing the death penalty, said a crucial question would be whether a second attempt to execute Pike would amount to torture. — Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Now, the defining image of the death penalty in 2026 is a woman strapped to a gurney, in unbearable agony, being tortured by prison officials tasked with killing her but unable to do so. — Maya Foa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Pamela Colloff, who writes for The New York Times Magazine, discusses the waning public support for the death penalty and why despite it some states are doubling down. — Chris Wood, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026