The death penalty is also known as?

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The death penalty is most commonly referred to as capital punishment. This term specifically denotes the legal sanction where a person is sentenced to death by the state as a consequence for their crimes, typically involving serious offenses such as murder or acts of terrorism. The phrase "capital" stems from the Latin word "capitalis," meaning "of the head," which relates to the idea of a person's life being forfeited for their actions.

Life imprisonment, while a severe form of punishment, does not involve the taking of life and therefore is distinct from capital punishment. Judicial execution is a broader term that might encompass the act of carrying out the death penalty but does not specifically name the penalty itself. Mandatory sentencing refers to laws that require judges to impose a certain sentence based on the crime, but this does not relate directly to the death penalty. Therefore, capital punishment is the most accurate and widely accepted synonym for the death penalty.

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