execute

English

Etymology

From Old French executer (French exécuter), from Latin exsecutus, past participle of exsequor, from ex- (“out”) + sequor (“to follow”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

execute (third-person singular simple present executes, present participle executing, simple past and past participle executed)

1. (transitive) To kill as punishment for capital crimes.

   There are certain states where it is lawful to execute prisoners convicted of certain crimes.

2. (transitive) To carry out; to put into effect.

   Your orders have been executed, sir!

   I'll execute your orders as soon as this meeting is adjourned.

   • Milton

     Why delays / His hand to execute what his decree / Fixed on this day?

3. (transitive) To perform.

   to execute a difficult piece of music brilliantly

   to execute a turn in ballet

4. (transitive) To cause to become legally valid; as, to execute a contract.
5. (transitive, computing) To start, launch or run; as, to execute a program.

Synonyms

• (computing): start, launch, run, open

Related terms

• executable
• execution
• executioner
• executor
• executed

Translations

to kill as punishment

• Arabic: أعدم (ʾáʿdama)
• Bulgarian: екзекутирам (ekzekutiram)
• Catalan: executar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 處決, 处决 (zh) (chǔjué), 處死, 处死 (zh) (chǔsǐ)

• Czech: popravit
• Dutch: executeren (nl)
• Esperanto: ekzekuti
• Estonian: hukama
• Finnish: teloittaa (fi)
• French: exécuter (fr)
• German: hinrichten (de)

• Japanese: 処刑する (ja) (しょけいする, shokei suru)
• Jèrriais: exétchuter
• Maori: whakamate
• Persian: اعدام کردن (e'dâm kardan)
• Portuguese: executar (pt)
• Quechua: hayratachiy
• Russian: казнить (ru) (kaznít’) impf. and pf.
• Serbo-Croatian: smàknuti, pogùbiti
• Slovene: usmrtiti
• Spanish: ejecutar (es), ajusticiar
• Swedish: avrätta (sv)
• Thai: ประหาร (pra-harn)
• Volapük: cödetadeidön (vo)

To start a defined process and run it to completion

• Arabic: ينفذ
• Bulgarian: изпълнявам (bg) (izpǎlnjavam), извършвам (bg) (izvǎršvam)
• Catalan: executar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 執行 (zh), 执行 (zh) (zhíxíng), 運行 (zh), 运行 (zh) (yùnxíng)

• Dutch: bewerkstelligen (nl), uitvoeren (nl)
• Finnish: toteuttaa (fi), panna (fi) täytäntöön
• Ido: exekutar (io)
• Japanese: 実行する (ja) (じっこうする, jikkō suru)

• Khmer: ប្រតិបត្តិ (km) (prɑte’bat)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: بردن به‌ڕێوه‌

• Portuguese: executar (pt)
• Russian: исполнять (ru) impf (ispolnját’), исполнить (ru) pf (ispólnit’)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuir an gnìomh
• Serbo-Croatian: izvŕšiti, pròvesti
• Slovene: izvršiti
• Spanish: ejecutar (es)
• Swedish: verkställa (sv), expediera (sv)

To start a defined process, without regard to whether it runs to completion or not

• Arabic: ينفذ
• Catalan: executar (ca)

• Dutch: bewerkstelligen (nl), uitvoeren (nl)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuir an gnìomh

To start, launch or run software

• Arabic: ينفذ
• Bulgarian: изпълнявам (bg) (izpǎlnjavam)
• Catalan: executar (ca)
• Dutch: uitvoeren (nl)
• Finnish: ajaa (fi), käynnistää (fi)
• French: exécuter (fr)
• Jèrriais: exétchuter
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: kjøre (no), eksekvere

  Nynorsk: køyre, eksekvere

• Persian: اجرا (fa) (ejrâ)
• Portuguese: executar (pt), rodar (pt)
• Slovene: zagnati
• Spanish: ejecutar (es)
• Swedish: exekvera (sv), köra (sv)

To sign or otherwise cause a document (especially a contract) to become legally valid

• Catalan: executar (ca)

• Finnish: toimeenpanna, saattaa voimaan

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Portuguese

Verb

execute

1. First-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of executar
2. Third-person singular (ele, ela, also used with tu and você^?) present subjunctive of executar
3. Third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of executar
4. Third-person singular (você) negative imperative of executar