1. a person whose job is to carry out death sentences by executing condemned criminals
Usage: historical
2. a person who carries out or implements something, especially something harsh or final
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The executioner wore a black hood to conceal his identity.
• In medieval times, the executioner was both feared and necessary for justice.
• The king’s executioner carried out the sentence at dawn.
• She became the executioner of the company’s downsizing plan.
• The coach was the executioner of players’ dreams when he cut them from the team.
• History remembers him as the executioner of the old regime.