Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🌟 Very well ⚖️ By death penalty ❗ Very seriously
capitally

capitally

9.0
In a way that can be punished by death
  • adverb
  • /ˈkæpɪtəli/
  • Archaic
translation icon : capitalmente
  • The crime was punished capitally.

Examples

  • In some countries, certain crimes are capitally punished under strict legal codes.

  • Historically, treason was often capitally punished to deter others from similar acts.

  • The judge explained that the offense could be capitally prosecuted if proven in court.

  • He was sentenced to die capitally for his actions.

  • The crime was so severe that the judge stated it would be punished capitally under the law.

  • In some countries, murder is still considered a capitally punishable offense.

  • The legislature debated whether certain drug trafficking offenses should be treated capitally.

Surface Forms

capitally positive

Morphology

capitally = capital (semi-transparent) = capital + ly

The adverb is formed from the adjective 'capital' (meaning punishable by death) + '-ly', but that legal sense is specialized and uncommon for many learners.

Etymology

The word capitally comes from the Latin caput, which means 'head'. Long ago, a 'capital' crime often meant one punished by cutting off the 'head', so capitally means 'in a way punishable by death'.