Definition

Noun: - A criminal act that is considered so severe or heinous that the law permits the imposition of the death penalty (capital punishment) as a possible sentence.

Usage

• The term is used in legal contexts to classify the most serious crimes within a jurisdiction's penal code.
• It is typically used with verbs like "be," "consider," "charge with," or "convict of."
• Example: "Murder in the first degree is a capital offense in some states."

Examples

• The prosecutor argued that the premeditated nature of the killing made it a capital offense.
• In many countries, treason can be considered a capital offense.
• The jury must decide whether the defendant is guilty of a capital offense.

Advanced Usage

• The classification of what constitutes a capital offense varies significantly between different countries and legal systems.
• The phrase "eligible for the death penalty" is often used in conjunction with discussions of capital offenses.

Variants and Related Words

• Capital crime: A synonymous term.
• Capital punishment: The penalty (death sentence) that may be applied for a capital offense.
• Death penalty: Another term for capital punishment.

Synonyms

• Capital crime
• Crime punishable by death

Related Legal Phrases

• Aggravating circumstances: Factors that may make a crime eligible to be treated as a capital offense.
• Mitigating circumstances: Factors that may argue against imposing the death penalty for a capital offense.

Noun

1. a crime so serious that capital punishment is considered appropriate