euthanasia
noun
eu·tha·na·sia
| \ ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zh(ē-)ə
\
\
Definition of euthanasia
: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (such as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
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Other Words from euthanasia
euthanasic
\ ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zik
, -sik \
adjective
, -sik \
adjective
Examples of euthanasia in a Sentence
a physician who refuses to practice euthanasia
Recent Examples on the Web
In New York, the law was backed by the Humane Society of the United States and opposed by the New York State Veterinary Medical Society, which argued declawing should remain an option when the alternative is abandonment or euthanasia. — orlandosentinel.com, "Declawing cats would be largely outlawed under Florida bill," 2 Aug. 2019 Do low rates spell euthanasia or euphoria for those who live off capital? — The Economist, "Should egalitarians fear low interest rates?," 11 July 2019 While there is always a risk of euthanasia at a city animal shelter, ACS works hard to keep their life release rate above 90 percent. — Cathy M. Rosenthal, ExpressNews.com, "What do you do if you have to rehome a pet," 2 Aug. 2019 Cats that would lose their home if not declawed face a higher risk of euthanasia than if their owner were able to care for them. — Sigal Samuel, Vox, "New York just became the first state to ban cat declawing," 23 July 2019 According to the story on her death published Sunday in the Dutch publication de Gelderlander, Pothoven had asked the clinic about the possibility of euthanasia. — Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, "Media got Dutch teen's 'euthanasia' death wrong," 5 June 2019 But property owners are also free to humanely kill the iguanas, or trap them and bring them in to a veterinarian or humane society for euthanasia. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Floridians are free to kill all green iguanas," 3 July 2019 Stockhausen’s childhood was nightmarish: his father, a schoolteacher who embraced Nazi ideology, was killed on the Eastern Front, and his mother, who suffered from depression, was murdered in the Nazi euthanasia program. — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Karlheinz Stockhausen Composes the Cosmos," 17 June 2019 The sea lion is given an overdose of anesthesia and then shot in the head with a bolt gun—the two forms of euthanasia dictated by an animal care committee composed of veterinarians and biologists. — Sallie Tisdale, Harper's magazine, "Catechism of the Waters," 10 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'euthanasia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for euthanasia
euthanasia
noun
English Language Learners Definition of euthanasia
: the act or practice of killing someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering
See the full definition for euthanasia in the English Language Learners Dictionary
euthanasia
noun
eu·tha·na·sia
| \ ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zh(ē-)ə
\
\
Medical Definition of euthanasia
: the act or practice of causing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (such as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
— called also mercy killing
euthanasia
noun
eu·tha·na·sia
| \ ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zhə
\
\
Legal Definition of euthanasia
: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured persons in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy
— called also mercy killing
Other Words from euthanasia
euthanasic
\ -ˈnā-zik, -sik
\
adjective
\
adjective
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