execute

/ˈeksəkˌjuːt/EK-suh-kyoot

/ˈɛksəkˌjut/EK-suh-kyoot

Meaningto follow out

Common meaning: to carry through a plan

Other meanings: to kill as a legal punishment

exout
ecuto follow, come afterLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1677 · scan
teverb or noun ending (part of the Latin stem)

‘out’ + ‘to follow, come after’ → execute

Journey through time

Latinsequor, secūtus‘to follow, come after’
Frenchexecution
Middle Englishexecutensource
Englishexecute‘to carry through a plan’ · today

ex- also in: exit exact exalt exert expel

ecu also in: suit sequence persecute subsequent consequence

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin sequor ‘to follow, come after’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry sequor, p. 1677 · dictionary scan

Roots

sequor, secūtus Latin “to follow, come after”

Related words

consequence persecute sequence subsequent suit

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