executioner

noun

ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-si-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər 

: one who executes

especially : one who puts to death

Examples of executioner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And her teachers didn’t mention the woman who slipped the executioner’s noose and freed New England? —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

Amnesty International says China is the world's lead executioner, believed to sentence and put to death thousands of people annually. —ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026

One such affair claimed an extra life when the executioner’s son ascended the scaffold to brandish a head, lost his footing, and fell to his death. —Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026

Iran is the world's most prolific executioner after China, according to rights groups. —CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

executioner

noun

ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-sə-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər 

: a person who carries out a sentence of death

Legal Definition

executioner

noun

ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shə-nər 

: one who puts another to death in fulfillment of a judicial death sentence