adj · noun · 10 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.
UK:/ɪɡˈzɛkjʊtɪv/
UK:/ɛɡˈzɛkjʊtɪv/
US:/ɪɡˈzɛkjətɪv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH0 G Z EH1 K Y AH0 T IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Designed or fitted for execution, or carrying into effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of, pertaining to, or having responsibility for the day-to-day running of an organisation, business, country, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
executive act
an executive officer
executive government
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Exclusive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
She works in an office with an executive bathroom.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A chief officer or administrator, especially one who can make significant decisions on their own authority.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The branch of government that is responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions, and for the day-to-day administration of the state.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A process that coordinates and governs the action of other processes or threads; supervisor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
1973, ACM Special Interest Group in Operating Systems, Fourth Symposium on Operating System Principles The second phase of the executive development proceeded through two steps as stated in Section 2. First, a failsoft executive was developed providing automatic failure detection and recovery [...]
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective
Meaning 7
having the function of carrying out plans or orders etc.
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the executive branch
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
persons who administer the law
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Narrower terms: Bush administration, Clinton administration, Reagan administration, Carter administration
9
noun
Meaning 9
someone who manages a government agency or department
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: administrator
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: head, chief, top dog
Narrower terms: commissioner, Director of Central Intelligence, DCI, prefect, Secretary General, triumvir, Raffles, Sir Thomas Raffles, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, Stuyvesant, Peter Stuyvesant, Petrus Stuyvesant
10
noun
Meaning 10
a person responsible for the administration of a business
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: executive director
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: administrator, decision maker
Narrower terms: corporate executive, business executive, minister, government minister, rainmaker, Surgeon General, vice president, V.P.
History
Etymology
From Middle French executif, from Latin executivus, from Latin exsequi, from ex- ‘out’ + sequi ‘follow’.
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
إِجْرَائِيّ
(ʔijrāʔiyy)
— designed for execution
Azerbaijani:
icra
— designed for execution
Azerbaijani:
icraiyyə
— designed for execution
Belarusian:
выкана́ўчы
(vykanáwčy)
— designed for execution
Bulgarian:
изпълни́телен
(izpǎlnítelen)
— designed for execution
Catalan:
executiu
— designed for execution
Chinese Mandarin:
執行的 /执行的
(zhíxíng de)
— designed for execution
Chinese Mandarin:
行政的
(xíngzhèng de)
— designed for execution
Czech:
výkonný
— designed for execution
Finnish:
toimeenpaneva
— designed for execution
Finnish:
liikkeenjohdollinen
— designed for execution
French:
exécutif
— designed for execution
Georgian:
აღმასრულებელი
(aɣmasrulebeli)
— designed for execution
German:
exekutiv
— designed for execution
Greek:
εκτελεστικός
(ektelestikós)
— designed for execution
Hungarian:
végrehajtó
— designed for execution
Hungarian:
intéző
— designed for execution
Kazakh:
атқарушы
(atqaruşy)
— designed for execution
Macedonian:
извршен
(izvršen)
— designed for execution
Macedonian:
егзекутивен
(egzekutiven)
— designed for execution
Malay:
eksekutif
— designed for execution
Persian:
اجرایی
(ejrâ'i)
— designed for execution
Polish:
wykonawczy
— designed for execution
Portuguese:
executivo
— designed for execution
Romanian:
executiv
— designed for execution
Russian:
исполни́тельный
(ispolnítelʹnyj)
— designed for execution
Serbo-Croatian:
ѝзвршнӣ
— designed for execution
Serbo-Croatian:
ìzvršnī
— designed for execution
Slovak:
výkonný
— designed for execution
Slovene:
izvršni
— designed for execution
Spanish:
ejecutivo
— designed for execution
Tajik:
иҷроия
(ijroyiya)
— designed for execution
Turkish:
icra
— designed for execution
Ukrainian:
викона́вчий
(vykonávčyj)
— designed for execution
Uyghur:
ئىجرائىي
(ijra'iy)
— designed for execution
Uyghur:
иҗраий
(ijraiy)
— designed for execution
Bulgarian:
изпълнителен директор
(izpǎlnitelen direktor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Catalan:
executiu
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Catalan:
executiva
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Chinese Mandarin:
執行者 /执行者
(zhíxíngzhě)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Czech:
výkonný ředitel
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Finnish:
johtaja
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Finnish:
toimeenpaneva elin
— title of a chief officer or administrator
French:
cadre
— title of a chief officer or administrator
French:
gestionnaire
— title of a chief officer or administrator
French:
directeur
— title of a chief officer or administrator
French:
administrateur
— title of a chief officer or administrator
German:
Führungskraft
— title of a chief officer or administrator
German:
leitender Angestellter
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Greek:
διοικητικό στέλεχος
(dioikitikó stélechos)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hindi:
प्रशासक
(praśāsak)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hindi:
प्रबंधक
(prabandhak)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hindi:
कार्यपाल
(kāryapāl)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
ügyvezető
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
vezető
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
igazgató
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
ügyintéző
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
munkatárs
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
előadó
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Hungarian:
tisztviselő
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Italian:
dirigente
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Korean:
간부
(ganbu)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Korean:
경영자
(gyeong'yeongja)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Macedonian:
извршен директор
(izvršen direktor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Māori:
kaiwhakahaere
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Portuguese:
executivo
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Romanian:
director
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Russian:
исполни́тельный дире́ктор
(ispolnítelʹnyj diréktor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Russian:
администра́тор
(administrátor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Swahili:
mtendaji
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Turkish:
yönetici
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Ukrainian:
викона́вчий дире́ктор
(vykonávčyj dyréktor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Ukrainian:
адміністра́тор
(administrátor)
— title of a chief officer or administrator
Bulgarian:
изпълнителна власт
(izpǎlnitelna vlast)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Catalan:
executiva
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Catalan:
executiu
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Czech:
exekutiva
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Czech:
moc výkonná
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Dutch:
uitvoerende macht
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Finnish:
valtioneuvosto
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Finnish:
toimeenpaneva elin
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
French:
exécutif
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Georgian:
აღმასრულებელი
(aɣmasrulebeli)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Georgian:
აღმასრულებელი ხელისუფლება
(aɣmasrulebeli xelisupleba)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
German:
Exekutive
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Hindi:
कार्यपालिका
(kāryapālikā)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Hindi:
कार्यकारिणी
(kāryakāriṇī)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Hungarian:
végrehajtó hatalom
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Irish:
feidhmeannas
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Khmer:
នីតិប្រតិបត្តិ
(ni teh bro teh bat)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Macedonian:
извршна власт
(izvršna vlast)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Navajo:
beehazʼą́ąnii biłʼoʼnishjí
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Polish:
egzekutywa
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Polish:
władza wykonawcza
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Portuguese:
executivo
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Romanian:
executiv
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Romanian:
organ executiv
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Russian:
исполни́тельная власть
(ispolnítelʹnaja vlastʹ)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Turkish:
yürütme
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions
Ukrainian:
викона́вча вла́да
(vykonávča vláda)
— branch of government responsible for enforcing laws and judicial decisions