euthanasia

[ yoo-thuh-ney-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh ]
See synonyms for euthanasia on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Also called mercy killing. the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition.

  2. painless death.

Origin of euthanasia

1
1640–50; <New Latin <Greek euthanasía an easy death, equivalent to eu-eu- + thánat(os) death + -ia-y3

Other words from euthanasia

  • eu·tha·na·si·ast [yoo-thuh-ney-zee-ast], /ˌyu θəˈneɪ ziˌæst/, noun
  • eu·tha·na·sic [yoo-thuh-ney-zik], /ˌyu θəˈneɪ zɪk/, adjective
  • pro·eu·tha·na·sia, adjective

Words Nearby euthanasia

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use euthanasia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for euthanasia

euthanasia

/ (ˌjuːθəˈneɪzɪə) /


noun
  1. the act of killing someone painlessly, esp to relieve suffering from an incurable illness: Also called: mercy killing

Origin of euthanasia

1
C17: via New Latin from Greek: easy death, from eu- + thanatos death

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for euthanasia

euthanasia

[ yōō′thə-nāzhə ]


  1. The act or practice of painlessly ending the life of an animal or a willing individual who has a terminal illness or incurable condition, as by giving a lethal drug.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for euthanasia

euthanasia

[ (yooh-thuh-nay-zhuh) ]


Painlessly putting someone to death — usually someone with an incurable and painful disease; mercy killing.

Notes for euthanasia

Proposals to make euthanasia legal in the United States have inspired heated debate.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.