euthanasia
noun
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Where does euthanasia come from?
Euthanasia is a mass noun (or noncount noun), that is, a noun used only in the singular form.
The word comes from the Greek euthanatos, which means “easy death.” In English, euthanasia has been used in exactly this sense since the early seventeenth century, when Francis Bacon described the phenomenon as “after the fashion and semblance of a kindly & pleasant sleepe.” Nowadays, the word usually refers to the means of attaining such a death.
Examples of euthanasia in a Sentence
Alex Ritman, Variety, 26 Sep. 2024
Over the last couple of years, the poultry industry — in its efforts to stamp out the spread of bird flu — has killed tens of millions of animals by closing vents and cranking up the heat so the birds slowly die by heatstroke, the most cost-effective, and cruelest, form of mass euthanasia.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 16 Sep. 2024
Editor’s note: the following story contains mention of euthanasia.
—Sophie Hanson, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2024
Explaining the choice of Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door for the top prize, Huppert said the jury had been impressed with the way the director had dealt with the subject of euthanasia.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for euthanasia 
Dictionary Entries Near euthanasia
Cite this Entry
“Euthanasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Medical Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Legal Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
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