noun
execution
The putting of a condemned person to death.
The court delays the execution while it reviews new evidence.
Etymology
The Latin root concerns carrying an order through. Execution in this sense is the carrying out of a death sentence, rather than performance of a task generally.
More examples
- The prisoner awaits execution on death row.
- The governor halted the execution just hours before it was scheduled.
- The state has carried out no executions this year.
Forms
execution · executions
execute verb — To put a condemned person to death.
executioner noun — A person who carries out death sentences.
Similar words
- killing
- Killing does not necessarily involve a legal death sentence.
- capital punishment
- Capital punishment names the penalty rather than its actual implementation.