# capital punishment

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The practice of putting a person to death as a punishment for a crime.

## Etymology
From the original meaning of capital (“relating to the head”); originally referring to executions by beheading or decapitating.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/capital-punishment