executioner
Americannoun
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an official who inflicts capital punishment in pursuance of a legal warrant.
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a person who executes an act, will, judgment, etc.
noun
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an official charged with carrying out the death sentence passed upon a condemned person
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an assassin, esp one appointed by a political or criminal organization
Etymology
Origin of executioner
Explanation
An executioner is a government official who kills people sentenced to death. Executioners kill legally. There are many people who kill, such as murderers, soldiers, and hunters. Another is the executioner, whose job is to kill. If a king or legal system has decided that someone will be put to death, it's the executioner's job to kill them. Over time, executioners have used hanging, beheading, lethal injections, the electric chair, and many other ways of executing (killing). Without a doubt, being an executioner is one of the grimmest jobs in the world.
Vocabulary lists containing executioner
Unit 1: Telling Details
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"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce
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"Imagine the Angels of Bread," Vocabulary from the poem
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Amnesty International continues to consider China as the world's leading executioner," it said.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Although Pratt says being in this film hasn't changed what he thinks about AI, he's clear that trial by an AI judge, jury and executioner is not the way forward.
From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026
The guillotine blade that was allegedly used comes from the Madame Tussauds Chamber of Horrors, by descent from the family of Charles-Henri Sanson, the executioner, whose son Henri may have pulled the lever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
In "Not Like Us," Lamar transforms into an omnipresent aura — almost a God-like figure that ultimately becomes judge, jury and executioner.
From Salon • Dec. 28, 2024
Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
