exécutés

Exécutés is a French term whose meaning depends on context. Grammatically, it is the past participle of exécuter and can function as an adjective or in compound tenses, agreeing in gender and number with the noun it accompanies, as in les mesures exécutées or les personnes exécutées.

In legal and historical contexts, exécutés most commonly designates people who have been put to death following a court sentence or state decision. The phrase les condamnés exécutés refers to those executed, and historical records, archives, or memorials may document executions by date, location, and method.

The concept of execution has varied across time and jurisdictions. Methods used to carry out capital punishment have included beheading, hanging, firing squad, and, in modern systems, lethal injection or other means, reflecting regional legal frameworks and technological development. Abolition movements have led to the elimination or restriction of the death penalty in many countries, while others retain it and consistently apply it in practice, often accompanied by ongoing debates about due process, proportionality, and human rights.

In general usage, exécuter can also mean to perform or carry out an action; the past participle exécuté describes such completed actions. When referring to people, the masculine plural exécutés denotes individuals who have been executed; context is needed to distinguish this sense from action-related meanings.

See also capital punishment, criminal procedure, and abolition movements.