execution

American  

[ek-si-kyoo-shuhn] / ˌɛk sɪˈkju ʃən /

noun

• executions
  plural

1. the act or process of executing.

2. the state or fact of being executed.

3. the infliction of capital punishment or, formerly, of any legal punishment.

4. the process of performing a judgment or sentence of a court.

   The judge stayed execution of the sentence pending appeal.

5. a mode or style of performance; technical skill, as in music.

   The pianist's execution of the sonata was consummate.

6. effective, usually destructive action, or the result attained by it (usually preceded bydo ).

   The grenades did rapid execution.

7. Law. a judicial writ directing the enforcement of a judgment.

8. Computers. the act of running, or the results of having run, a program or routine, or the performance of an instruction.

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execution British  

/ ˌɛksɪˈkjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of executing

2. the carrying out or undergoing of a sentence of death

3. the style or manner in which something is accomplished or performed; technique

   as a pianist his execution is poor

4. 1. the enforcement of the judgment of a court of law

   2. the writ ordering such enforcement

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonexecution
  noun
• preexecution
  noun
• reexecution
  noun
• executional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• executions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of execution

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English execucioun, from Latin ex(s)ecūtiōn-, stem of ex(s)ecūtiō “accomplishment, performance”; equivalent to execute + -ion

Explanation

The planning stage of building a tree house is the fun part — the hard part is the execution of your plan. Execution is taking an idea and actually making it happen. The execution of a plan is when you put it into effect, like the execution on the field of a football team's game plan. It can also mean the style in which a project is carried out, like a ballet's creative execution. Execution can also refer to the death of a person, either a prisoner who's been sentenced to death by a court of law, or a deliberate, targeted murder, especially when it's done for political reasons.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

execution executions

However, the bank remains cautious given execution risks around the company’s 2029 targets and elevated leverage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Generally, while calls to invoke judicial dissolution don’t result in much action, it’s still fun to fantasize about which corporations should face execution.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Locatelli approaches dishes from the perspective of a chef, looking closely at technique and execution.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

“CoreWeave’s combination of market leadership, execution against a rapidly growing backlog and accelerating profitability underpins our positive outlook,” Liani wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

The legal question was whether condemned prisoners could file civil rights actions to challenge arguably unconstitutional methods of execution.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Just over halfway into 2026, 12 of the 19 executions occurred in Florida.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

The UN human rights chief has said he is alarmed by the rise in executions in Iran, with capital punishment continuing to be used "to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

In a statement, Türk urged Iranian authorities to halt all executions and move toward the abolition of the death penalty, saying that "such punishment has no place in our world".

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Indonesia has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

It was impossible, in spite of the endless arrests and confessions and executions, to be sure that the Brotherhood was not simply a myth.

From "1984" by George Orwell