Euthanasia and euthanisation

[Ju]

"Although some people campaign for the right to euthanasia, it is still illegal in most countries."

The above sentence is excerpted from Cambridge online dictionary.

Can I replace "euthanasia" by "euthanisation"?

 

[jutfrank]

Why would you want to do that?

 

[Ju]

I just would like to clarify because I know they both are nouns in the same meaning. Google news used "euthanasia" but another article used "euthanisation"

 

[jutfrank]

They don't have quite the same meaning. Euthanasia is the word for the general practice. That's the sense the dictionary entry is using. Don't change it.

The noun euthanisation is derived from the verb euthanise. You could use it in a more specific sense—as a specific act rather than a general practice.

 

[Tdol]

You can see the usages in this Ngram. I'd stick with the standard term.