Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned execution of an individual as a punishment for a crime. It is typically reserved for the most serious offenses, such as murder, treason, or espionage. The methods of execution can vary widely, including lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging, and firing squad. The practice of capital punishment has a long history and is a subject of significant ethical, legal, and social debate, with arguments both for and against its use in modern society.