CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

Putting a condemned person to death

Synonyms:

capital punishment; death penalty; executing; execution

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("capital punishment" is a kind of...):

corporal punishment (the infliction of physical injury on someone convicted of committing a crime)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "capital punishment"):

hanging (a form of capital punishment; victim is suspended by the neck from a gallows or gibbet until dead)

burning; electrocution (execution by electricity)

beheading; decapitation (execution by cutting off the victim's head)

crucifixion (the act of executing by a method widespread in the ancient world; the victim's hands and feet are bound or nailed to a cross)