death penalty

NOUN

execution of a condemned person

Synonyms

STRONGEST

capital punishment

WEAK

death sentence death warrant execution judicial execution judicial murder legalized killing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The death penalty returned after a brief period of suspension when the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Gregg v.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Fifty years after the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty as constitutionally permissible after a brief ban, these figures are a reminder that executions still play a role in American life.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

Multiple Zizian trials are pending, with federal prosecutors seeking the death penalty in one case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The sentence was commuted to life in prison last June, after Vietnam abolished the death penalty for a range of crimes.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

I was in a poor rural county in Alabama after another trip to pull records in a death penalty case when I was invited to speak at a small African American church.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson