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
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
With its passing, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to make euthanasia legal, per BBC News.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Because of his story, shelters across Fort Worth dropped from a 70% euthanasia rate to 3%.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024
In-home euthanasia can be easier on animals and their owners than office appointments with other sick animals and their distressed owners crowded around.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024
The announcement of the couple’s euthanasia was a surprise to many people who knew Mr. van Agt as well as to Dutch society as a whole, said Gerard Jonkman, the director of the Rights Forum.
—Claire Moses, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Right before the pandemic, Meyers decided to shift to doing euthanasia full time.
—Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024
This increase in euthanasia comes despite fewer dogs entering the shelter in 2023 than in 2019.
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 11 Feb. 2024
Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie, died by duo euthanasia last Monday, holding each other's hands.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Euthanasia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Medical Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
Legal Definition
euthanasia
noun
called also mercy killing
More from Merriam-Webster on euthanasia
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for euthanasia
Nglish: Translation of euthanasia for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of euthanasia for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about euthanasia
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