Decapitation (noun)

1. The act or process of cutting off the head, especially as a form of punishment or execution.
2. The state of having been beheaded.

Origin:

From middle english, from old french, from latin decapitatio, from the verb decapitare, from de- + caput ("hea.d")

Examples:

1. The execution was carried out by decapitation.
2. He was charged with murder by decapitation.
3. The ancient Egyptians believed that the gods would only accept an offering if it was made by decapitation.
4. The guillotine was widely used as a method of decapitation during the French Revolution.
5. The punishment for high treason is often decapitation.