execution
noun
ex·e·cu·tion
ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shən 
1
: the act or process of executing : performance
2
: a putting to death especially as a legal penalty
3
: the process of enforcing a legal judgment (as against a debtor)
also
: a judicial writ directing such enforcement
4
: the act or mode or result of performance
5
archaic
: effective or destructive action
his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution—
William Shakespeare
—usually used with doWilliam Shakespeareas soon as day came, we went out to see what execution we had done—Daniel Defoe
Daniel DefoeSynonyms
Examples of execution in a Sentence
He is in prison awaiting execution.
The quarterback's execution of the play was perfect.
skillful execution of the dance steps
Recent Examples on the Web
Thailand lifted a de facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty in 2018, executing a man by lethal injection in the country’s first execution since August 2009, according to rights groups.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
In execution, however, the film exhibits something of a split personality by awkwardly moving between cutesy soap operatic romance and an unsparing, oft-devastating portrait of the myriad hurdles facing foreign workers.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
The Indiana Supreme Court scheduled Corcoran's execution for Dec. 18.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Nov. 2024
Many experts argue that both are simply euphemisms for extrajudicial executions, which the laws of armed conflict proscribe.
—Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for execution 
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Jessie Yeung, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
In execution, however, the film exhibits something of a split personality by awkwardly moving between cutesy soap operatic romance and an unsparing, oft-devastating portrait of the myriad hurdles facing foreign workers.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
The Indiana Supreme Court scheduled Corcoran's execution for Dec. 18.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Nov. 2024
Many experts argue that both are simply euphemisms for extrajudicial executions, which the laws of armed conflict proscribe.
—Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for execution
Articles Related to execution
Dictionary Entries Near execution
Cite this Entry
“Execution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/execution. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
execution
noun
ex·e·cu·tion
ˌek-sə-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or process of executing : a carrying through of something to its finish
put a plan into execution
2
: a putting to death as a legal penalty
3
: the way in which something is executed
Legal Definition
execution
noun
ex·e·cu·tion
ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or process of executing
witnessed the execution of the will
2
: a putting to death as fulfillment of a judicial death sentence
3
: the process of enforcing a judgment (as against a debtor)
also
: a judicial writ (as fieri facias) by which an officer is empowered to carry a judgment into effect see also levy
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