execution
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the act of doing something that has been planned or designed.
the act of performing or carrying out a task, plan, or piece of work to completion.
Simple“The idea for the new business was great, but the execution was poor.”
In context“While the strategic vision was sound, the project failed due to poor execution at the local level.”
UsageOften used with 'of' to describe the task being completed.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the legal killing of someone as a punishment for a crime.
the carrying out of a sentence of death on a condemned person.
Simple“The prisoner is facing execution for his crimes.”
In context“The governor refused to grant a stay of execution despite the emergence of new DNA evidence.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the concept, but countable when referring to specific events.
Synonymscapital punishmentputting to death - 03 C1 Advanced
the way someone performs a piece of music or creates a work of art.
the manner or style in which an artistic work is produced or a technique is applied.
Simple“The pianist's execution of the difficult piece was perfect.”
In context“Critics praised the painter's technical execution, though they found the subject matter somewhat derivative.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
the process of a computer running a program or following instructions.
the process by which a computer or virtual machine carries out the instructions of a computer program.
Simple“The execution of the script took only a few seconds.”
In context“The software architecture was designed to optimize the execution of parallel threads across multiple processor cores.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
the act of making a legal document, like a contract, valid by signing it.
the formal completion of a legal instrument, such as a contract or will, typically by signing and delivering it.
Simple“We need to witness the execution of the will.”
In context“The validity of the agreement was challenged on the grounds that the execution of the document was not properly witnessed.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'execution of a contract' or 'execution of a deed'.
Synonyms
“Because the men were local, they could have been victims of internal political strife or state-sanctioned executions rather than conflicts with outsiders.”
“Cuesta-Rodriguez’s family and friends issued a statement in the wake of his execution, calling his life one of “extraordinary beauty and tenderness within the darkest of conditions”.”
From Old French execution (c.1360), from Latin exsecutiō, an agent noun from exsequor (“to follow out”), from ex (“out”) + sequor (“follow”). Equivalent to execute + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.