execute
To kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime.
Example
“There are certain states where it is lawful to execute prisoners convicted of certain crimes.”
Other meanings
To carry out; to put into effect.
“Your orders have been executed, sir!”
To carry out, to perform an act; to put into effect or cause to become legally binding or valid (as a contract) by so doing.
“to execute a contract”
Related words
- nonexecuted
- unexecuted
- electrocute
- executability
- executrix
- executry
- misexecute
- outexecute
- reexecute
- unexecute
- nonexecuting
- self-executing
Word history
From Latin "exsecutus".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “execute” on Wiktionary, by its contributors, published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.