execution

noun

ex·e·cu·tion | \ ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shən

Definition of execution

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 do as soon as day came, we went out to see what execution we had done— Daniel Defoe

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about execution

Keep scrolling for more

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

Ahead of their trial, Donald Trump himself called for their execution in an ad in four major newspapers, the New York Times included. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "Aurora Perrineau Wanted to Be Known as an Actor. Instead, Her Name Got Dragged Into Scandal," 21 May 2019 In Season 7, Arya, Sansa, and Bran successfully stage a clever plan to trick Littlefinger into his own execution. — Carrie Wittmer, Harper's BAZAAR, "Daenerys Is Definitely Dying in the Game of Thrones Series Finale. Here's How It Could Happen.," 19 May 2019 Both are things the boys of NCT 127 surprisingly have never done as a nonet but easily mastered given their impressive execution of choreography. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Watch K-Pop Group NCT 127 Do the Wave, Wind-Blown Hair Flips, and More," 14 May 2019 Someone stripped it off the door months ago, torn from the smooth wood, execution style, in a dismantling of the final reminder of a most humiliating moment in the illustrious history of Mississippi State’s baseball program. — Ross Dellenger, SI.com, "How Mississippi State Baseball Turned a Season That Began in Humiliation Into a Trip to Omaha," 15 June 2018 At the same trial, Adoma and McDonald were convicted of the 2013 execution-style slaying of Kwamne Clyburn, a homeless teenager who was bound and shot seven times with two different weapons in Pressley Road Neighborhood Park. — Michael Gordon, charlotteobserver, "Last of 12 Bloods linked to killings of Lake Wylie couple get life in prison | Charlotte Observer," 14 May 2018 Eastland mall has also been the scene of occasional shootings in recent years, including a December 2015 execution-style killing of a 16-year-old youth by another teenager outside the Burlington store. — Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, "More stores close at struggling Eastland Center mall," 24 Apr. 2018 The idea came from a tweet request from an owner, but the execution is vaguely meme-inspired, which would make sense: CEO Elon Musk recently bought the site stankmemes.com, and has asked his followers for memes. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "Tesla Rolls Out Sentry Mode and Dog Mode to the Model 3," 14 Feb. 2019 The premise of The Perfect Date may seem stereotypical, but its execution is anything but. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Laura Marano Is a New Kind of Romantic Comedy Heroine in Netflix's The Perfect Date," 12 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'execution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about execution

Dictionary Entries near execution

Statistics for execution

Last Updated

1 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for execution

The first known use of execution was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for execution

execution

noun

English Language Learners Definition of execution

: the act of killing someone especially as punishment for a crime

: the act of doing or performing something

See the full definition for execution in the English Language Learners Dictionary

execution

noun

ex·e·cu·tion | \ ˌek-sə-ˈkyü-shən

Kids Definition of execution

1 : the act of killing someone as a legal penalty

2 : the act of doing or performing something execution of a plan

execution

noun

ex·e·cu·tion | \ ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shən

Legal Definition of execution

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