decapitate

verb

de·​cap·​i·​tate di-ˈka-pə-ˌtāt 

dē-

decapitated; decapitating

transitive verb

: to cut off the head of : behead

decapitation

di-ˌka-pə-ˈtā-shən 

dē-

noun

decapitator

di-ˈka-pə-ˌtā-tər 

dē-

noun

Did you know?

Decapitation is a quick and fairly painless way to go, so it was once considered suitable only for nobles like Sir Walter Raleigh, Mary Queen of Scots, and two of Henry VIII's unfortunate wives. The invention of the guillotine in the 18th century was meant to make execution swifter and more painless than hanging or a badly aimed blow by the executioner's sword.

Synonyms

• behead
• guillotine
• head

Examples of decapitate in a Sentence

a particularly gruesome series of murders in which the victims were decapitated

Recent Examples on the Web

And Obama wanted to convey the risks of both a nuclear-armed free agent and a country decapitated without a clear next step. —Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025

His body was found decapitated Oct. 11 on the 2300 block of Clay Street with his arms and knees bound with black tape. —Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025

Israeli airstrikes have decapitated Iran's military and intelligence leadership and targeted critical nuclear sites and scientists, killing more than 224 people since Friday. —Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025

The Trump administration is desperate to keep Israel's military operation aimed at decapitating Iran's nuclear program from exploding into an even more expansive conflict and saw the plan to kill Khamenei as a move that would enflame the conflict and potentially destabilize the region. —Arkansas Online, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin decapitatus, past participle of decapitare, from Latin de- + capit-, caput head — more at head

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for decapitate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

decapitate

verb

de·​cap·​i·​tate di-ˈkap-ə-ˌtāt 

decapitated; decapitating

: to cut off the head of : behead

decapitation

-ˌkap-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

Etymology

derived from Latin decapitare "to cut off the head of," from de- "from, away" and caput "head" — related to capital

Medical Definition

decapitate

1 of 2 transitive verb

de·​cap·​i·​tate di-ˈkap-ə-ˌtāt 

decapitated; decapitating

: to cut off the head of

decapitation

-ˌkap-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

decapitate

2 of 2 adjective

de·​cap·​i·​tate -ə-ˌtāt  -ət-ət 

: relating to or being a decapitated experimental animal