noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/juː.θəˈneɪ.zi.ə/
Received-Pronunciation:/juːθəˈneɪʒə/
Canada, General-American:yo͞o"thənā'zhə
Canada, General-American:/ˌjuθəˈneɪʒə/
California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Texas:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌjʉːθəˈnæɪʒə/
CMU ARPABET:Y UW2 TH AH0 N EY1 ZH AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:Y UW2 TH AH0 N EY1 ZH Y AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The practice of intentionally killing a human being or animal in a humane way, especially in order to end suffering.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Examples
Euthanasia is the most difficult part of a veterinarian's job.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mercy killing
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The practice of killing a human being who is considered a liability to society, especially a disabled person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Nazism, especially, euphemistic, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An easy death, or the means to bring about such a death.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the act of killing someone painlessly (especially someone suffering from an incurable illness)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mercy killing
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: killing, kill, putting to death
History
Etymology
First attested in 1606, from Ancient Greek εὐθανασία (euthanasía), from εὐ- (eu-, “good”) + θάνατος (thánatos, “death”)
Across languages
Translations
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
vdekje e lehtë
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Arabic:
قَتْلٌ رَحِيم
(qatlun raḥīm)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Armenian:
էվթանազիա
(ēvtʻanazia)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Azerbaijani:
evtanaziya
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Bashkir:
эвтаназия
(evtanaziya)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Belarusian:
эўтана́зія
(ewtanázija)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Bulgarian:
евтана́зия
(evtanázija)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Catalan:
eutanàsia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Chinese Mandarin:
安樂死 /安乐死
(ānlèsǐ)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Chinese Mandarin:
人道毀滅 /人道毁灭
(réndào huǐmiè)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Czech:
eutanazie
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Danish:
eutanasi
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Dutch:
euthanasie
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Esperanto:
eŭtanazio
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Estonian:
eutanaasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Finnish:
eutanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Finnish:
armomurha
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Finnish:
lopettaminen
— practice of killing a human being or animal
French:
euthanasie
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Galician:
eutanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Georgian:
ევთანაზია
(evtanazia)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
German:
Euthanasie
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Greek:
ευθανασία
(efthanasía)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Hebrew:
המתת חסד
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Hindi:
इच्छामृत्यु
(icchāmŕtyu)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Hungarian:
eutanázia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Icelandic:
líknardráp
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Indonesian:
eutanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Irish:
eotanáis
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Italian:
eutanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Japanese:
安楽死
(anrakushi)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Japanese:
オイタナジー
(oitanajī)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Japanese:
ユータナジー
(yūtanajī)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Japanese:
ユーサネイジア
(yūsaneijia)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Japanese:
殺処分
(satsu shobun)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Kazakh:
эвтаназия
(évtanaziä)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Korean:
안락사
(allaksa)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Northern Kurdish:
otanazî
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Kyrgyz:
эвтаназия
(evtanaziya)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Latin:
euthanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Norwegian:
eutanasi
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Persian:
اتانازی
(otânâzi)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Polish:
eutanazja
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Portuguese:
eutanásia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Romanian:
eutanasie
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Russian:
эвтана́зия
(evtanázija)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Serbo-Croatian:
еутаназија
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Serbo-Croatian:
eutanazija
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Slovak:
eutanázia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Slovene:
evtanazija
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Spanish:
eutanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Swedish:
eutanasi
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Thai:
การุณยฆาต
(gaa-run-yá-kâat)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Turkish:
ötanazi
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Ukrainian:
евтана́зія
(evtanázija)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Ukrainian:
ейтана́зія
(ejtanázija)
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Vietnamese:
an tử
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Volapük:
deadiyuf
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Welsh:
ewthanasia
— practice of killing a human being or animal
Welsh:
marwolaeth esmwyth
— practice of killing a human being or animal