euthanasia (n.)

1640s, "a gentle and easy death," from Greek euthanasia "an easy or happy death," from eu- "good" (see eu-) + thanatos "death" (see thanatology) + abstract noun ending -ia. Slightly earlier in Englished form euthanasy (1630s). Sense of "legally sanctioned mercy killing" is recorded in English by 1869.

also from 1640s

Entries linking to euthanasia

thanatology (n.)

"scientific study of death," 1837, from thanato- "death" + -logy. By 1889 as "a doctrine of or a discourse on death." Related: Thanatological. In 1970s, some undertakers made a bid to be called thanatologists; but from 1974 that word has been used principally in reference to specialists in the needs of the terminally ill. There also is an isolated use of it from 1901.

euthanize (v.)

by 1915, in place of earlier and etymologically correct euthanatize (1873); see euthanasia + -ize. Related: Euthanized; euthanizing.

eu-

-ia

*es-

See all related words (5) >

Trends of euthanasia

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to Explore

mercy

late 12c., "God's forgiveness of his creatures' offenses," from Old French mercit, merci (9c.) "reward, gift; kindness, grace, pity," from Latin mercedem (nominative merces) "reward, wages, pay, hire" (in Vulgar Latin "favor, pity;" in Medieval Latin "thanks; grace"), from merx (

pandemic

of diseases, "incident to a whole people or region," 1660s, from Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandemos "pertaining to all people; public, common," from pan- "all" (see pan-) + dēmos "people" (see demotic). Modeled on epidemic; OED reports that it is "Distinguished from epidemi

intuitive

1640s, "perceiving directly and immediately," from French intuitif or directly from Medieval Latin intuitivus, from intuit-, past-participle stem of Latin intueri "look at, consider," from in- "into" (from PIE root *en "in") + tueri "to look at, watch over," a word of uncertain o

instrument

late 13c., "musical instrument, mechanical apparatus for producing musical sounds," from Old French instrument, enstrument "means, device; musical instrument" (14c., earlier estrument, 13c.) and directly from Latin instrumentum "a tool, an implement; means, furtherance; apparatus

number

c. 1300, "sum, aggregate of a collection," from Anglo-French noumbre, Old French nombre and directly from Latin numerus "a number, quantity," from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take." The meaning "written symbol or figure of arithmetic value" is from late 14c. The meaning "singl

denizen

early 15c., "a citizen, a dweller, an inhabitant," especially "legally established inhabitant of a city or borough, a citizen as distinguished from a non-resident native or a foreigner," from Anglo-French deinzein, denzein, (Old French deinzein) "one within" (the privileges of a

anatomy

late 14c., "study or knowledge of the structure and function of the human body" (learned by dissection); c. 1400, "anatomical structure," from Old French anatomie and directly from Late Latin anatomia, from late Greek anatomia for classical anatomē "dissection," literally "a cutt

soul

"A substantial entity believed to be that in each person which lives, feels, thinks, and wills" [Century Dictionary], Middle English soule, from Old English sawol "spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence; life, living being," from Proto-Germanic *saiwalō (sour

fail

c. 1200, "be unsuccessful in accomplishing a purpose;" also "cease to exist or to function, come to an end;" early 13c. as "fail in expectation or performance," from Old French falir "be lacking, miss, not succeed; run out, come to an end; err, make a mistake; be dying; let down,

browbeat

also brow-beat, "to bully," originally "to bear down with stern or arrogant looks," 1580s, from brow + beat (v.). [I]t appears from the earliest quotations ... that the brow in question was that of the beater, not of the beaten party; but it is not evident whether the meaning wa

Share euthanasia

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia">Etymology of euthanasia by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of euthanasia. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of euthanasia,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of euthanasia.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of euthanasia.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/euthanasia (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 28, 2017

Remove ads >

Trending words

1. autumn
2. amen
3. virgin
4. hospitality
5. teacher
6. pride
7. chaos
8. empathy
9. deluge
10. ensconce

Dictionary entries near euthanasia

eurypterid

eurythmic

Eustace

Eustachian tube

Euterpe

euthanasia

euthanise

euthanize

Euxine

evacuate

evacuation