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Synonyms

death penalty

American  
death penalty British  

noun

  1. capital punishment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

As professor Evan Mandery observes, “Between the Furman decision and 1976, 35 states passed new death penalty statutes.”

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

Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern break down the Broadview Six dismissal and the Supreme Court’s surprising punt in a major death penalty case.

From Slate • May 23, 2026

The US government is seeking the death penalty for the suspect charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC last year.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

By the end of the decade, some justices had become openly critical of the review that death penalty cases received.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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