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

Rather, the state may employ executioners with limited technical expertise and often no experience in basic anatomy or medical care. — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Pike, 50, suffered burns and blisters to her arms and her prognosis remains uncertain after executioners tried to give her two lethal doses of pentobarbital, her legal team said Wednesday. — Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

During the execution procedure on Christa Pike, executioners struggled to place IV lines, causing the pentobarbital to flow into her body rather than her bloodstream, according to Pike’s attorneys. — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

By the end of it, executioners had given her two doses of the state’s lethal injection drugs. — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 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