And if not, is there an adequate gender-neutral term that isn't 'executioner'? I'm studying the poem "The Hangman" by Maurice Ogden, the opening line of which is "Into the town, the Hangman came." The word has loaded connotations, so I'm wondering if there's any suitable replacement.
Learn English – Is “hangman” a gender neutral term
gender-neutralsingle-word-requests
Best Answer
There is no established gender-neutral term for hangman (other than the more generic executioner).
For example, Government of Canada offers comprehensive guidelines for gender-neutral language substitutes. But their guidelines do not consider the word hangman.
A Google Ngram search shows that hangperson is not in print. Even hangwoman is vanishingly rare. You can of course use these terms anyway, as you will undoubtedly be understood.