The word 执行 is formed by combining two independent characters, each contributing a core conceptual piece to create a new, unified meaning. The first character, 执 (zhí), carries the fundamental idea of holding, grasping, or taking control of something. The second, 行 (xíng), means to go, to move, or to act. When fused, the compound visually and conceptually depicts the process of "grasping an action and making it go forward", thus arriving at its modern meaning of to implement, to carry out, or to execute a plan or order.