execution
noun
ex·e·cu·tion
ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or process of executing : performance
put the plan into execution
2
: a putting to death especially as a legal penalty
3
: the process of enforcing a legal judgment (as against a debtor)
also
: a judicial writ directing such enforcement
4
: the act or mode or result of performance
The quarterback's execution of the play was flawless.
5
archaic
: effective or destructive action
… his brandished steel, / Which smoked with bloody execution …—William Shakespeare
—usually used with do… as soon as day came, we went out to see what execution we had done …—Daniel Defoe
Cite this Entry
“Execution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/execution. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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