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

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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

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 The French queen’s house arrest and, ultimately, execution in the wake of revolution caused Maria Carolina to abandon relatively liberal rule in Naples and Sicily for a program of reactionary crackdowns and surveillance. — Matthew Guerrieri, BostonGlobe.com, "Mozart for an era of political machinations," 28 June 2018 Demetre Mason and Frankland Henderson were sentenced to life without parole plus 30 years in DeKalb County for their roles in the executions of two young women in 2014. — Joshua Sharpe, ajc, "DeKalb Bloods gang members get long sentences for executing 2 women," 15 June 2018 State executions in California have been held up by court challenges since 2006. — Dennis Romero /, NBC News, "Man sentenced to death in torture, murder of boy he thought was gay," 8 June 2018 Jackley's office said the warden of the state penitentiary will choose the specific time and date, which will be announced within 48 hours of the execution. — James Nord, Fox News, "South Dakota sets execution for man in prison guard's death," 9 Aug. 2018 On Wednesday, the Lefferts Boulevard bridge, with its health food shop, pharmacy and Art Deco movie theater, received a stay of execution of sorts. — Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, "A Bridge, the Rickety Heart of Kew Gardens, Gets a Reprieve," 12 July 2018 The drug that led to the stay of execution was not fentanyl but midazolam, the sedative in the three-drug cocktail. — Richard A. Oppel Jr., BostonGlobe.com, "Nevada execution is blocked after drug maker sues," 12 July 2018

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.

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Last Updated

4 May 2019

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Time Traveler for execution

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

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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