capital punishment
noun
: punishment by death : the practice of killing people as punishment for serious crimes
called also death penalty
Examples of capital punishment in a Sentence
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The state is unrivaled in its pursuit of capital punishment, accounting for more than a third of all executions nationwide since the Supreme Court ruled the death penalty constitutional in 1976.
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Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026
As of 2026, more than 70% of countries around the world have abolished capital punishment either legally or in practice, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Rosen has previously explained that the move was spurred by a change in philosophy inspired by historical racial injustice and a state moratorium regarding capital punishment.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
Eichmann was executed by hanging, the last time the death penalty was carried out in Israel, though technically capital punishment remains on the books for acts of genocide, espionage during wartime and certain terror offenses.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
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Erik Ortiz, NBC news, 20 May 2026
As of 2026, more than 70% of countries around the world have abolished capital punishment either legally or in practice, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Rosen has previously explained that the move was spurred by a change in philosophy inspired by historical racial injustice and a state moratorium regarding capital punishment.
—Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 13 May 2026
Eichmann was executed by hanging, the last time the death penalty was carried out in Israel, though technically capital punishment remains on the books for acts of genocide, espionage during wartime and certain terror offenses.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for capital punishment
Cite this Entry
“Capital punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capital%20punishment. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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