beheading
Loading your saved state.
beheading
The act of cutting someone's head off from their body, especially as a form of execution.
Die Enthauptung mit der Guillotine war ein zentrales Ereignis der Französischen Revolution.
Beheading by guillotine was a central event of the French Revolution.
The word is made up of the prefix 'ent-' (away), the old word 'Haupt' (head), and the ending '-ung'. So it literally describes the process in which the head is removed.
Das Verb zu diesem Nomen lautet „enthaupten“.
The verb belonging to this noun is 'enthaupten' (to behead).
This word is used almost exclusively in historical, legal, or journalistic contexts when talking about the death penalty. It is not a word for everyday language.
Im Museum gab es eine Ausstellung über Strafen im Mittelalter, inklusive der Enthauptung.
At the museum, there was an exhibition about punishments in the Middle Ages, including beheading.
Common phrases are 'jemanden durch Enthauptung hinrichten' (to execute someone by beheading), 'zum Tode durch Enthauptung verurteilen' (to sentence someone to death by beheading), or 'die öffentliche Enthauptung' (the public beheading).
Der König wurde zur Enthauptung verurteilt.
The king was sentenced to beheading.
execution
'die Hinrichtung' and 'die Enthauptung' can both be connected with the death penalty. 'Hinrichtung' is the general term for carrying out a death sentence. 'Enthauptung' describes the specific act of cutting the head off from the body. So a beheading can be a form of execution, but not every execution is a beheading. The words can be confused when talking about history or punishments. Memory aid: 'Hinrichtung' says why and in what context, while 'Enthauptung' says how.
Im Museum erklärt ein Text die Enthauptung als alte Form der Todesstrafe.
In the museum, a text explains beheading as an old form of the death penalty.
Die Hinrichtung wurde damals öffentlich angekündigt.
The execution was publicly announced at the time.