execution
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See also: exécution
English
Etymology
From Old French execution (c.1360), from Latin exsecutiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“to follow out”), from ex (“out”) + sequor (“follow”).
Pronunciation
Noun
execution (countable and uncountable, plural executions)
- The act, manner or style of executing (actions, maneuvers, performances).
- 1885, John Ormsby, chapter 1, in Don QuixoteWikisource, volume 1, translation of original by Miguel de Cervantes:
- Already the poor man saw himself crowned by the might of his arm Emperor of Trebizond at least; and so, led away by the intense enjoyment he found in these pleasant fancies, he set himself forthwith to put his scheme into execution.
- The state of being accomplished.
- Coordinate term: realization
- The mission's successful execution lifted the troops' morale.
- The act of putting to death or being put to death as a penalty, or actions so associated.
- (law) The carrying into effect of a court judgment, or of a will.
- (now rare) Specifically, the seizure of a debtor's goods or property in default of payment.
- 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 166:
- There are two executions in the house, one for sixteen hundred, the other for two thousand three hundred pounds.
- (law) The formal process by which a contract is made valid and put into binding effect.
- (computing) The carrying out of an instruction, program or program segment by a computer.
- The entire machine slowed down during the execution of the virus checker.
Hyponyms
- (penalty of death): crucifixion, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection
Derived terms
Related terms
Synonyms
Translations
act of executing or the state of being executed
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act of putting to death or being put to death as a penalty
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manner or style of a performance etc
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carrying into effect of a court judgment, or of a will
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formal process by which a contract is made valid and put into binding effect
carrying out of an instruction by a computer
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- “execution”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E Smith, editors (1911), “execution”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
Middle French
Etymology
From Latin execūtiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“follow out”), itself from ex + sequor (“follow”).
Noun
execution f (plural executions)
- execution (act of putting to death or being put to death as a penalty, or actions so associated)
Descendants
- French exécution
Old French
Etymology
From Latin execūtiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“follow out”), itself from ex + sequor (“follow”).
Noun
execution oblique singular, f (oblique plural executions, nominative singular execution, nominative plural executions)
- execution (act of putting to death or being put to death as a penalty, or actions so associated)