Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

death penalty

American  

noun

  • death penalties
    plural
  1. capital punishment.


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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

“I support the death penalty, but I hate the way it’s being executed,” Becerra told state lawmakers in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 8, 2026

And a dwindling number of attorneys who specialize in death penalty cases meant 70% of condemned inmates did not have a lawyer at the end of last year, according to a state report.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 8, 2026

Robinson’s defense tried to have the death penalty taken off the table and reduced to a lesser charge of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 2, 2026

In January 2011, the Supreme Court upheld Singh's life sentence, refusing the prosecutors' plea to reinstate the death penalty.

From BBC Sep. 1, 2026

Even in death penalty cases, the Court grants review only in a small percentage of the cases filed.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training