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.
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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
See all Example Sentences for 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
See all Example Sentences for the death penalty
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.
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“The death penalty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20death%20penalty. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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