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
Leadership in 2025 will require courage, vision, and relentless execution.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
One of our most important jobs at The Upshot is to give readers a kind of journalism that wouldn’t otherwise exist at The New York Times — in conception, execution or both.
—The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Nonetheless, top analysts continue to focus on stocks that can withstand near-term pressures and offer robust growth potential, backed by solid execution and fundamentals.
—Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2024
In the three-volume book, Solzhenitsyn offered a sweeping story of the Soviet prison system—from arrest to torture, execution, starvation and long hours of toil in the camps.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for execution 
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Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
One of our most important jobs at The Upshot is to give readers a kind of journalism that wouldn’t otherwise exist at The New York Times — in conception, execution or both.
—The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Nonetheless, top analysts continue to focus on stocks that can withstand near-term pressures and offer robust growth potential, backed by solid execution and fundamentals.
—Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2024
In the three-volume book, Solzhenitsyn offered a sweeping story of the Soviet prison system—from arrest to torture, execution, starvation and long hours of toil in the camps.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 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 19 Jan. 2025.
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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