execution

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #5011

Meanings

1

noun
The act of carrying out a plan, order, or task.

The plan was good, but its execution was poor.
2

noun
The act of killing someone as a legal punishment.

The execution of the prisoner sparked public protests.
3

noun
(computing) The running of a program or instruction by a computer.

The program crashed during execution.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of carrying out a... implementation performance

More pursuance

Word family

Forms executions

Derived forms execution-styleexecutionalexecutionaryexecutionismexecutionistinexecutionmalexecutionmisexecutionnonexecutionpostexecutionunexecution

Related forms execute executioner executive executor

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

execution speed
the rate at which a computer carries out instructions

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Old French execution (c.1360), from Latin exsecutiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“to follow out”), from ex (“out”) + sequor (“follow”). Equivalent to execute + -ion.

*sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European execution Old French exsecutiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# execution

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 5011

## Meanings
1. The act of carrying out a plan, order, or task.
2. The act of killing someone as a legal punishment.
3. (computing) The running of a program or instruction by a computer.

## Examples
- The plan was good, but its execution was poor.
- The execution of the prisoner sparked public protests.
- The program crashed during execution.

## Synonyms
- pursuance

## Derived Forms
- execution-style
- executional
- executionary
- executionism
- executionist
- inexecution
- malexecution
- misexecution
- nonexecution
- postexecution
- unexecution

## Related Forms
- execute
- executioner
- executive
- executor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sekʷ-
- Root: execution
- Root: exsecutiō

## Etymology
From Old French execution (c.1360), from Latin exsecutiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“to follow out”), from ex (“out”) + sequor (“follow”). Equivalent to execute + -ion.

## AI Etymology
Execution comes from Old French execution (c.1360), from Latin exsecutiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“to follow out”), from ex (“out”) + sequor (“follow”). Equivalent to execute + -ion. In current use, the main senses are “The act of carrying out a plan, order, or task” and “The act of killing someone as a legal punishment”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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