euthanasia
noun
Did you know?
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
Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 5 July 2024
Trying to contain the spread of the disease, which can be fatal to livestock including cows, poultry farms have quarantined their animals and carried out mass euthanasia of over half a million chickens.
—Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 July 2024
Despite identifying issues with euthanasia methods, the FWC has shown a lack of initiative in effectively correcting these mistakes.
—Brandon Rahe, Orlando Sentinel, 30 June 2024
Through Friedman’s efforts, more than 1,000 dogs were reportedly saved from euthanasia.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for euthanasia 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'euthanasia.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near euthanasia
Cite this Entry
“Euthanasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia. Accessed 15 Jul. 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
Share