death penalty meaning

Definition of death penalty

1. putting a condemned person to death

   Synonyms: execution, executing, capital punishment

   Type of: corporal punishment

   Kinds: burning, hanging, electrocution, decapitation, crucifixion

death penalty in a sentence

• The death penalty is final and irreversible.
• We should do away with the death penalty.
• His crime deserved the death penalty.
• We must abolish the death penalty.
• I thought that the death penalty should be abolished.

How to pronounce death penalty

death penalty is pronounced /dɛθ ˈpɛnəlti/ in British English and /dɛθ ˈpɛnəlti/ in American English. It has 4 syllables.