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
Wolf and Wolf Entertainment’s Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski are executive producers of all five series. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 James served as an executive producer and script advisor on the project. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 New Amsterdam showrunner, executive producer, and creator David Schulner is developing a spinoff series based on the beloved NBC show, Deadline reports. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Malinowski had served as executive director of the airport since 2019. Amir Mahmoud, arkansasonline.com, 21 Mar. 2024 Abudu will serve as both executive producer and producer. Leah Collins, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Michal Lev-Ram: Our executive producer is Chris Joslin. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Oscar betting isn’t a new phenomenon, said Brett Abarbanel, executive director of the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Hallie Lieberman, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The structures are attuned to their natural environment and add to the state’s sense of place, says Kiersten Faulkner, executive director of Historic Hawaii Foundation. Kristina Linnea Garcia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024
Noun
Artist managers, record label executives and music artists participated in the first Forum on Spanish-Language Music in Madrid, held at the WiZink Center, on Tuesday (March 19). Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2024 Prime Video is bullish about the large, diverse and volatile Asian streaming market, driven by growth in India and Japan, the streamer’s top executives responsible for the region have said. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 Next up, Raising Kanan star Patina Miller introduced STARZ executive Kathryn Busby. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024 In July, before the charges were announced, John F.X. Graham, a New Jersey insurance executive and member of the Democratic National Committee, donated $10,000 to Mr. Menendez’s defense fund. Tracey Tully, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 If an executive takes a personal trip on a company jet, the company has to carefully track their usage of the plane and the executive has to reimburse the company appropriately so that the IRS doesn’t cancel the company’s tax deduction for the plane. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 More details have been released about the death of Angela Chao, a business executive and sister-in-law of Mitch McConnell, who was recovered from a pond in February following a reported accident. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Darren Star, who has an overall deal at Paramount Global, and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family) created the series and executive produced with Harris and Lilly Burns. Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 David Marino, an executive at commercial real estate firm Hughes Marino and a MCASD trustee, is handling the transaction on a pro bono basis, according to the sources, to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 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

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