- to put (a condemned person) to death; inflict capital punishment upon
- to carry out; complete; perform; do: to execute an order
- to perform; accomplish; effect: to execute a pirouette
- to make or produce: to execute a drawing
- to carry into effect (a judicial sentence, the law, etc); enforce
- to comply with legal formalities in order to render (a deed, etc) effective, as by signing, sealing, and delivering
- to sign (a will) in the presence of witnesses and in accordance with other legal formalities
- to carry out the terms of (a contract, will, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•e•cute /ˈɛksɪˌkyut/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -cut•ed, -cut•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to carry out; accomplish: to execute a plan.
- to perform or do: to execute a handstand.
- to put to death according to law:The murderer was executed in the electric chair.
- to murder;
assassinate:The rebel army leaders executed the general. - Computingto run (a computer program) or process (a command):The program is executed by typing RUN at the prompt.
ex•e•cute
(ek′si kyo̅o̅t′),USA pronunciation v., -cut•ed, -cut•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
ex′e•cut′a•ble, adj.
ex′e•cut′er, n.
v.t.
- to carry out;
accomplish:to execute a plan or order. - to perform or do:to execute a maneuver; to execute a gymnastic feat.
- to inflict capital punishment on;
put to death according to law. - to murder;
assassinate. - to produce in accordance with a plan or design:a painting executed by an unknown artist.
- Music and Danceto perform or play (a piece of music).
- Law
- to give effect or force to (a law, decree, judicial sentence, etc.).
- to carry out the terms of (a will).
- to transact or carry through (a contract, mortgage, etc.) in the manner prescribed by law;
complete and give validity to (a legal instrument) by fulfilling the legal requirements, as by signing or sealing.
- Computingto run (a program or routine) or to carry out (an instruction in a program).
v.i.
- to perform or accomplish something, as an assigned task.
- Sportto perform properly the fundamental moves or mechanics of a sport, game, position, or particular play;
show smoothness in necessary skills:We just didn't execute defensively.
- Medieval Latin execūtāre, derivative of Latin execūtus, past participle of ex(s)equī to follow up, carry out (punishment), execute; see ex-1, sequence
- Old French executer
- Middle English executen 1350–1400
ex′e•cut′er, n.
- 1. achieve, complete, finish, consummate. 2. See perform. 3. See kill 1. 7. a. enforce, administer.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
execute /ˈɛksɪˌkjuːt/ vb (transitive)
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'executed' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Anastasia
- Antonescu
- authentic
- Babington
- Barnave
- Boethius
- Boleyn
- Bourbon
- Brissot
- Bukharin
- bunny hop
- Byng
- Cavell
- Ceauşescu
- Charles I
- Childers
- Civil War
- Connolly
- Crippen
- Cromwell
- Dafydd ap Gruffudd
- Despenser
- dive
- Egmont
- Eichmann
- elaborate
- Emmet
- Essex
- Fisher
- Gaddafi
- gibbet
- given
- glissando
- Grey
- Hamilton
- Hanratty
- Herod Agrippa I
- Hussein
- ippon
- Itúrbide
- Jodl
- Joyce
- Keitel
- Laval
- Lebrun
- machine code
- monochrome
- Mortimer
- Morton
- Müntzer
