Third person singular of execute, meaning to carry out a plan or order, to perform a task, or in legal contexts, to put to death.
From Latin exsequi meaning 'to follow out,' composed of ex- (out) + sequi (to follow). The word evolved from following through on something to carrying out orders, including the ultimate legal execution.
The word 'execute' spans from the mundane to the ultimate - you can execute a computer program or a condemned person, showing how the same concept of 'following through completely' can apply to vastly different scales of human action.
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