cruel and unusual punishment
noun
: punishment that is very harsh and too severe for the crime
The law forbids cruel and unusual punishment.
Examples of cruel and unusual punishment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The state’s prison population has steadily declined since 2011, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that severe overcrowding in California prisons amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
—
Nicole Nixon
july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
After a backlash against encampments in many Western cities, the Supreme Court rules in City of Grants Pass vs. Johnson that local governments’ use of civil and criminal penalties for illegally camping on public land does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment of homeless people.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
His current lawyers argued that his life should have been spared because the execution methods in South Carolina amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution, an argument refuted by state officials and rejected by courts.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 June 2025
That violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment, inmate advocates say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 June 2025
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Nicole Nixon
july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
After a backlash against encampments in many Western cities, the Supreme Court rules in City of Grants Pass vs. Johnson that local governments’ use of civil and criminal penalties for illegally camping on public land does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment of homeless people.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
His current lawyers argued that his life should have been spared because the execution methods in South Carolina amount to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution, an argument refuted by state officials and rejected by courts.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 June 2025
That violates constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment, inmate advocates say.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel and unusual punishment
Cite this Entry
“Cruel and unusual punishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel%20and%20unusual%20punishment. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
cruel and unusual punishment
noun
cruel and un·usu·al punishment
: punishment that is offensive to the contemporary morality or jurisprudence (as by being degrading, inflicting unnecessary and intentional pain, or being disproportionate to the offense)
nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted—U.S. Constitution amend. VIII
see also Gregg v. Georgia compare corporal punishment, death penalty
U.S. Constitution amend. VIIINote: A cruel and unusual punishment is essentially one that the courts consider to violate the Eighth Amendment based on a variety of criteria. The interpretation of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment has changed over time and has varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most forms of corporal punishment formerly used at common law have been found to be cruel and unusual punishments.
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