Meanings
verbexecute (third-person singular simple present executes, present participle executing, simple past and past participle executed)
present singular third person executes · participle present executing · participle past executed · past executed · alternative obsolete exequte · alternative obsolete exequute · alternative obsolete exsecute · alternative obsolete exsequute
- transitiveTo kill, especially as punishment for a capital crime.
According to international treaties, it is illegal to execute prisoners of war.
2 more examples
There are certain states where it is lawful to execute prisoners convicted of certain crimes.
Was not thy Father, Richard, Earle of Cambridge, / For Treaſon executed in our late Kings dayes?
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 104, column 1 - transitiveTo carry out; to put into effect.
Your orders have been executed, sir!
3 more examples
I'll execute your orders as soon as this meeting is adjourned.
Why delays / His hand to execute what his decree / Fixed on this day?
1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLCThen, on the basis of that permission, he executed a mutatio capparum⁷ and decked out his donkey, showing him off to great advantage.
Part 1 published in 1605, Part 2 in 1615, translated in 2003, Miguel de Cervantes and translated by Edith Grossman, Don Quixote, page 157 - transitiveTo perform.
to execute a turn in ballet
2 more examples
to execute a difficult piece of music brilliantly
Affinity groups will plan and execute nonviolent actions to both symbolically and directly challenge weapons development.
1989 February 12, Escalating Peace: A Next Step To Resist Global Violence, “George Jarret”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 30, page 5 - intransitivecomputingTo run, usually successfully.
The program executed, but data problems were discovered.
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
verbkill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment
Similar
verbput in effect
verbcarry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinexsecutus
- Old Frenchexecuter
- Englishexecute
From Old French executer (French exécuter), from Latin exsecutus, past participle of exsequor (“to follow (up/through)”, particularly in the sense “to go through with a deed or punishment”), from ex- (“out”) + sequor (“to follow”).
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek θανατόω, ἐνεργέω
- θανατόω (thanatóō)to kill as punishment
- ἐνεργέω (energéō)to start a defined process and run it to completion
Arabic أَعْدَمَ, نَفَّذَ
- أَعْدَمَ (ʔaʕdama)to kill as punishment
- نَفَّذَ (naffaḏa)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- نَفَّذَ (naffaḏa)to start, launch or run software
- نَفَّذَ (naffaḏa)to start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Bulgarian екзекути́рам, подписвам
- екзекути́рам (ekzekutíram)to kill as punishment
- подписвам (podpisvam)to sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- подпиша (podpiša)to sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- изпълня́вам (izpălnjávam)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- изпъ́лня (izpắlnja)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- извъ́ршвам (izvắršvam)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- извъ́рша (izvắrša)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- изпълня́вам (izpălnjávam)to start, launch or run software
- изпъ́лня (izpắlnja)to start, launch or run software
Catalan executar, executar
- executarto kill as punishment
- executarto sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- executarto start a defined process and run it to completion
- executarto start, launch or run software
- arrancarto start, launch or run software
- arrencarto start, launch or run software
- executarto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Chinese Mandarin 處決 /处决, 處死 /处死
- 處決 /处决 (chǔjué)to kill as punishment
- 處死 /处死 (chǔsǐ)to kill as punishment
- 執行 /执行 (zhíxíng)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- 運行 /运行 (yùnxíng)to start a defined process and run it to completion
Czech popravit, konat
- popravitto kill as punishment
- konatto start a defined process and run it to completion
- vykonávatto start a defined process and run it to completion
- vykonatto start a defined process and run it to completion
- provádětto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Danish henrette, afvikle
- henretteto kill as punishment
- afvikleto start a defined process and run it to completion
- udføreto start a defined process and run it to completion
- eksekvereto start a defined process and run it to completion
- afvikleto start, launch or run software
- udføreto start, launch or run software
- eksekvereto start, launch or run software
- udføreto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- eksekvereto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- starteto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- påbegyndeto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Dutch executeren, bewerkstelligen
- executerento kill as punishment
- bewerkstelligento start a defined process and run it to completion
- uitvoerento start a defined process and run it to completion
- uitvoerento start, launch or run software
- bewerkstelligento start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- uitvoerento start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Esperanto ekzekuti, plenumi
- ekzekutito kill as punishment
- plenumito start, launch or run software
Estonian hukkama, teostama
- hukkamato kill as punishment
- teostamato start a defined process and run it to completion
- täitmato start a defined process and run it to completion
Finnish teloittaa, saattaa voimaan
- teloittaato kill as punishment
- saattaa voimaanto sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- toteuttaato start a defined process and run it to completion
- panna toimeento start a defined process and run it to completion
- panna täytäntöönto start a defined process and run it to completion
- ajaato start, launch or run software
- suorittaato start, launch or run software
- käynnistääto start, launch or run software
- aloittaato start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- käynnistääto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
French exécuter, mettre à mort
- exécuterto kill as punishment
- mettre à mortto kill as punishment
- exécuterto start a defined process and run it to completion
- exécuterto start, launch or run software
German hinrichten, exekutieren
- hinrichtento kill as punishment
- exekutierento kill as punishment
- ausführento start a defined process and run it to completion
- durchführento start a defined process and run it to completion
- ausführento start, launch or run software
Greek εκτελώ, θανατώνω
- εκτελώ (ekteló)to kill as punishment
- θανατώνω (thanatóno)to kill as punishment
Hebrew להוציא להרוג
- להוציא להרוגto kill as punishment
Hungarian kivégez, végrehajt
- kivégezto kill as punishment
- végrehajtto sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- teljesítto sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- végrehajtto start a defined process and run it to completion
- teljesítto start a defined process and run it to completion
- elvégezto start a defined process and run it to completion
- megvalósítto start a defined process and run it to completion
- kivitelezto start a defined process and run it to completion
- foganatosítto start a defined process and run it to completion
- futtatto start, launch or run software
Icelandic framkvæma
- framkvæmato start, launch or run software
Irish básaigh, cuir i bhfeidhm
- básaighto kill as punishment
- cuir i bhfeidhmto start a defined process and run it to completion
- cuir i bhfeidhmto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Italian giustiziare, lanciare
- giustiziareto kill as punishment
- lanciareto start, launch or run software
Japanese 処刑する, 消す
- 処刑する (shokei suru)to kill as punishment
- 消す (kesu)to kill as punishment
- 実行する (jikkō suru)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- 行う (okonau)to start a defined process and run it to completion
Korean 처형하다, 실행하다
- 처형하다 (cheohyeonghada)to kill as punishment
- 실행하다 (silhaenghada)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- 행하다 (haenghada)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- 실행하다 (silhaenghada)to start, launch or run software
Latin carnificō, ad necum mittō
- carnificōto kill as punishment
- ad necum mittōto kill as punishment
- fungorto start a defined process and run it to completion
Latvian izpildīt
- izpildītto start a defined process and run it to completion
Lithuanian įvykdyti
- įvykdytito start a defined process and run it to completion
Māori whakamate, whakahaere
- whakamateto kill as punishment
- whakahaereto start a defined process and run it to completion
Norwegian Bokmål henrette, kjøre
- henretteto kill as punishment
- kjøreto start, launch or run software
- eksekvereto start, launch or run software
Persian اعدام کردن, انجامیدن
- اعدام کردن (e'dâm kardan)to kill as punishment
- انجامیدنto start a defined process and run it to completion
- اجرایدنto start, launch or run software
Polish stracać, stracić
- stracaćto kill as punishment
- stracićto kill as punishment
- wykonywaćto start a defined process and run it to completion
- wykonaćto start a defined process and run it to completion
- uruchomićto start, launch or run software
- wystartowaćto start, launch or run software
- wykonaćto start, launch or run software
- uruchomićto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- rozpocząćto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- zacząćto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Portuguese executar, executar
- executarto kill as punishment
- executarto start a defined process and run it to completion
- executarto start, launch or run software
- rodarto start, launch or run software
Romanian executa, executa
- executato kill as punishment
- executato start a defined process and run it to completion
- executato start, launch or run software
- executato start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Russian казни́ть, подпи́сывать
- казни́ть (kaznítʹ)to kill as punishment
- подпи́сывать (podpísyvatʹ)to sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- подписа́ть (podpisátʹ)to sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid
- исполня́ть (ispolnjátʹ)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- испо́лнить (ispólnitʹ)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- прогоня́ть (progonjátʹ)to start, launch or run software
- прогна́ть (prognátʹ)to start, launch or run software
- выполня́ть (vypolnjátʹ)to start, launch or run software
- вы́полнить (výpolnitʹ)to start, launch or run software
- запуска́ть (zapuskátʹ)to start, launch or run software
- запусти́ть (zapustítʹ)to start, launch or run software
- выполня́ть (vypolnjátʹ)to start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Scottish Gaelic cuir an gnìomh, cuir an gnìomh
- cuir an gnìomhto start a defined process and run it to completion
- cuir an gnìomhto start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Slovak popraviť, vykonávať
- popraviťto kill as punishment
- vykonávaťto start a defined process and run it to completion
- vykonaťto start a defined process and run it to completion
Spanish ejecutar, ajusticiar
- ejecutarto kill as punishment
- ajusticiarto kill as punishment
- enrodarto kill as punishment
- ejecutarto start a defined process and run it to completion
- ejecutarto start, launch or run software
- arrancarto start, launch or run software
Swedish avrätta, verkställa
- avrättato kill as punishment
- verkställato start a defined process and run it to completion
- expedierato start a defined process and run it to completion
- utförato start a defined process and run it to completion
- exekverato start, launch or run software
- körato start, launch or run software
Tagalog ipapatay
- ipapatayto kill as punishment
Thai ประหาร
- ประหาร (bprà-hǎan)to kill as punishment
Turkish idam etmek
- idam etmekto kill as punishment
Ukrainian стра́чувати, стра́тити
- стра́чувати (stráčuvaty)to kill as punishment
- стра́тити (strátyty)to kill as punishment
- вико́нувати (vykónuvaty)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- ви́конати (výkonaty)to start a defined process and run it to completion
- запуска́ти (zapuskáty)to start, launch or run software
- запусти́ти (zapustýty)to start, launch or run software
- вико́нувати (vykónuvaty)to start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
- ви́конати (výkonaty)to start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not
Welsh dienyddio
- dienyddioto kill as punishment
Cite this entry
APA
execute. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/execute
MLA
“execute.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/execute. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “execute,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/execute.
Source: execute on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.