executive

1 of 2

adjective

ex·​ec·​u·​tive ig-ˈze-k(y)ə-tiv How to pronounce executive (audio)
-kyü-
1
a
: of or relating to the execution of the laws and the conduct of public and national affairs
b
: belonging to the branch of government that is charged with such powers as diplomatic representation, superintendence of the execution of the laws, and appointment of officials and that usually has some power over legislation (as through veto) compare judicial, legislative
2
a
: designed for or relating to execution or carrying into effect
executive board
b
: having administrative or managerial responsibility
executive director
3
: of or relating to an executive
the executive offices

executive

2 of 2

noun

1
: the executive branch of a government
also : the person or persons who constitute the executive magistracy of a state
2
: a directing or controlling office of an organization
3
: one that exercises administrative or managerial control

Examples of executive in a Sentence

Adjective She has good executive skills. He has an executive position in the company. In the U.S., the President is the head of the executive branch of government. Noun The television network's executives decided not to air the controversial show. The President is the chief executive of the U.S. matters of policy controlled by the executive
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Ed de Burgh and Paul Wright serve as executive producers for Triple Brew Media. Joe Otterson, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024 Aysha Bagchi Former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff testifying The prosecution has called former Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff to the stand. Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024 Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have a new executive communications team in place. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 26 Apr. 2024 The organization’s deputy executive director, fresh off a visit to the Caribbean nation over the weekend, said with over 1 million Haitians facing famine, the United Nations food aid agency would like to do more but is struggling to meet the demand. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2024 Amanda Rajkumar, the former global head of human resources and the first woman of color on Adidas’s executive board, quit in 2023, after starting in 2021. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024 Jamie Thomason and Andrew Mann are executive producers on the project, which is in production and is seeking distribution. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2024 But Huffman, a 40-year-old former GOP operative, has something no one disputes: A couple of provocative 2020 text messages from Andrew Iverson, the new executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party. Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024 Bethany Edwards, executive director of the Early Learning Alliance, stressed the importance of taking all categories into account when reviewing the dashboard and analyzing the variety of children’s needs that connect to their education. Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2024
Noun
Three months ago, Microsoft revealed that Russian government hackers had used a simple trick to access the emails of some Microsoft senior executives, cyber experts, and lawyers. Eric Geller, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024 Producers and Hollywood executives were paying attention. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024 The extreme violence meant there was no way to monetize the mixed martial arts promotion, Kevin Kay, who was then an executive at Spike TV, explained to the U.F.C.’s owners and its president, Dana White, in a 2004 meeting. Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024 Right Now In addition to allegations of poor treatment by managers and executives, the documentary also focused on Brandy Melville’s production process. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2024 One was filed by a former executive, who claims that his Brandy Melville store in Toronto was shut down by the company because its clientele was mostly people of color. Cady Lang, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024 Showrunner David Zabel executive produces in addition to Scott M. Gimple, Reedus, McBride, Greg Nicotero, Angela Kang, Brian Bockrath, Daniel Percival, Jason Richman and Steve Squillante. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024 Brawner has used safety skiffs for work on bridges in the past, according to a deposition of a company executive that was part of a 2011 lawsuit. Jake Offenhartz and Claudia Lauer, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024 Quixote Productions was founded by political strategist and public relations executive Rose and McCain’s longtime consultant, Fose. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'executive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of executive was in 1649

Dictionary Entries Near executive

Cite this Entry

“Executive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executive. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

executive

1 of 2 adjective
ex·​ec·​u·​tive ig-ˈzek-(y)ət-iv How to pronounce executive (audio)
1
: of or relating to the carrying out of laws and the conduct of public and national affairs
the executive branch of government
2
: fitted for or relating to the managing or directing of things
executive skills
an executive program for a computer
3
: of or relating to an executive
the executive offices

executive

2 of 2 noun
1
: the executive branch of a government
2
: a person who manages or directs

Legal Definition

executive

1 of 2 adjective
ex·​ec·​u·​tive
1
: of or relating to the execution or carrying out of laws
serving a warrant is an executive function
especially : belonging to the branch of government that is charged with such powers as diplomatic representation, overseeing the execution of laws, and appointment of officials see also administrative compare judicial, legislative
2
a
: of or relating to execution
b
: having administrative or managerial responsibility
an executive director
3
: of, relating to, or issued by an executive
an executive pardon

executive

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: the executive branch of a government compare judiciary, legislature
b
: the person or persons making up that branch see also governor, mayor, president
2
: a person who exercises administrative or managerial control

More from Merriam-Webster on executive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!