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.
But they were not lost at all, but rather executioners who shot and killed Sarah. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024 Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) Blue Eye Samurai owes a debt to countless stories of wandering warriors, among them Lone Wolf and Cub, in which a shōgun’s executioner turned outcast wanders the countryside with his toddler son (and a baby cart rigged with weapons). Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2024 Iran, one of the world’s top executioners, typically hangs condemned prisoners before sunrise. Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024 Meanwhile, Undertaker plays the omnipotent executioner who can’t quite get Michaels to the chopping block. Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near executioner

Cite this Entry

“Executioner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/executioner. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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