euthanasia
noun
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Where does euthanasia come from?
Euthanasia is a mass noun (or noncount noun), that is, a noun used only in the singular form.
The word comes from the Greek euthanatos, which means “easy death.” In English, euthanasia has been used in exactly this sense since the early seventeenth century, when Francis Bacon described the phenomenon as “after the fashion and semblance of a kindly & pleasant sleepe.” Nowadays, the word usually refers to the means of attaining such a death.
Examples of euthanasia in a Sentence
Longreads, 25 Oct. 2024
Those tests identified two additional positives in the Taylor barn, resulting in their euthanasia.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
Last year, the actor and director, 44, saved the canines — Max, a 2-year-old Shepherd/Husky mix, and Jack, a 3-year-old Mastiff mix — from euthanasia, only hours before they were scheduled to be killed.
—Nicholas Rice, People.com, 28 Sep. 2024
Most of the time, the animal dies, either as a direct consequence of the experiment or from euthanasia.
—Celia Ford, Vox, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for euthanasia 
Dictionary Entries Near euthanasia
Cite this Entry
“Euthanasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Medical Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Legal Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
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