executioner
n.a person whose job is to kill someone who has been sentenced to death by a court. This word is mostly used when talking about history or stories.
n.an official appointed to carry out a death sentence. Often used in historical or literary contexts to describe the person performing a capital punishment.
“The executioner wore a black mask to hide his face.”
“In medieval times, the executioner was often a feared figure who lived on the outskirts of the city.”
“The novel explores the psychological burden placed upon the royal executioner, who must balance his duty to the crown against his own moral reservations.”
Commonly used in historical narratives; in modern legal contexts, terms like 'execution technician' or 'corrections officer' are more frequent.
“Eleven executioners packed into the building’s basement, each assigned to kill a specific victim.”
From execution + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.