capital punishment

noun

: punishment by death : the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes
an opponent of capital punishment

Examples of capital punishment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Opponents of capital punishment on Friday called on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to reverse Arkansas' decision to allow nitrogen suffocation as a method of execution, calling the method inhumane and barbaric and asserting that states that have approved the method haven't weighed the consequences. Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2025 He was set for execution in 2022 before the governor put a pause on capital punishment. Kelly Puente, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Hochman, who gave his prosecutors the power to seek the death penalty again earlier this year, said prosecutors would take months to decide whether to seek capital punishment against Medina-Berumen. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 The crowd had as many as 2,000 spectators and included children, according to The Washington Post — and only a handful were there in protest of capital punishment. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for capital punishment

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Capital punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital%20punishment. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

capital punishment

noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!