Etymograph

English

executive

Executive is borrowed from Middle French executif, from Latin executivus, from exsequor ‘to follow out, execute’ (ex- + sequor).

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsequor1‘to follow’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsequor1‘to follow out, execute’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexecutivus1
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600executif1
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1787executive1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English executive
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1787, Federal Convention of 1787, Constitution of the United States of America: “When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State,…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsequorWiktionary, English executive‘to follow’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexsequorWiktionary, English executive‘to follow out, execute’
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEexecutivusWiktionary, English executive
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600executifWiktionary, English executive
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1787executiveWiktionary, English executive. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1787, Federal Convention of 1787, Constitution of the United States of America: “When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ‘to follow’

see, say, second, social, saw, society, suit, sight, associate, subsequent, sequence, pursue, sue, sequel, consequently, saga, prosecution, intrinsic, consecutive, sect, persecution, sequential, consequent, ensue, sequestration, dissociation, segue, sequester, extrinsic, dissociate, seg, persecute, sequitur, 36 more

Today it means

adj Designed or fitted for execution, or carrying into effect.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “executive”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin sequor / executive

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