death sentence
A 'death sentence' is primarily a legal term but can also be used metaphorically to describe situations that lead to inevitable death or ruin.
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Definition
B2Law
(formal, legal)A legal ruling that orders a person to be executed for a serious crime.
Example
- The court issued a death sentence for the convicted murderer.
- He appealed his death sentence, hoping for a lesser punishment.
B2General
(figurative)A situation or condition that inevitably leads to death or ruin.
Example
- Receiving such a diagnosis felt like a death sentence to him.
- Losing their main client was a death sentence for the small business.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "death sentence":
death warrantcapital offenselife imprisonmentcapital murderelectric chairsend to the scaffoldto death