executioner

noun

ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-si-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce executioner (audio)
: one who executes
especially : one who puts to death

Examples of executioner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thanks to a last minute call to one of the executioners though, Janine (Madeline Brewer) is pulled from the firing line and spared. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 6 May 2025 State law allows the executioner, a private citizen paid $150 for her services, to remain anonymous. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 Craig Baxley, a former South Carolina executioner, also raised concerns about the design, warning that bullets could ricochet in the small, brick-walled chamber. Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025 On February 8, 1587, the executioner’s ax struck three times, beheading Mary, Queen of Scots. Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for executioner

Word History

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of executioner was in 1536

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Cite this Entry

“Executioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executioner. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

executioner

noun
ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-sə-ˈkyü-sh(ə-)nər How to pronounce executioner (audio)
: a person who carries out a sentence of death

Legal Definition

executioner

noun
ex·​e·​cu·​tion·​er ˌek-si-ˈkyü-shə-nər How to pronounce executioner (audio)
: one who puts another to death in fulfillment of a judicial death sentence

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