Death Penalty
Definition: The "death penalty" is a legal punishment where a person who has been found guilty of a serious crime (often called a "capital crime") is sentenced to be executed, or put to death.
Usage Instructions: - The term "death penalty" is used in discussions about crime and punishment, especially in legal contexts. It can be used in both formal and informal conversations, but it is often a serious topic.
Example Sentence: - "In some countries, the death penalty is still used for crimes like murder and terrorism."
Advanced Usage: - When discussing the death penalty in more sophisticated contexts, you might encounter terms like "capital punishment" (which is another way to refer to the death penalty) or phrases such as "abolition of the death penalty" (which means to end the practice).
Word Variants: - Death Row: This refers to a specific part of a prison where inmates who have been sentenced to death are held while awaiting execution. - Execution: This is the act of carrying out the death penalty.
Different Meaning: - There are no widely recognized different meanings for "death penalty," but the term is sometimes used metaphorically in other contexts, such as when someone feels they are facing serious consequences ("I feel like I’m facing the death penalty at work if I don’t meet my deadline").
Synonyms: - Capital punishment - Execution (though this refers specifically to the act of carrying out the death penalty, rather than the sentence itself)
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs: - There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to "death penalty," but you might hear phrases like "pay the ultimate price," which can imply facing severe consequences, including death.