assassin

noun

as·​sas·​sin ə-ˈsa-sᵊn 

1

: a person who commits murder

especially : one who murders a politically important person either for money or from fanatical adherence to a cause

2

Assassin : a member of a Shia Muslim sect who at the time of the Crusades was sent out on a suicidal mission to murder prominent enemies

Synonyms

• cutthroat
• homicide
• killer
• manslayer
• murderer

Examples of assassin in a Sentence

John Wilkes Booth was the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.

shot down by an unknown assassin

Recent Examples on the Web

Nero is a cynical and surly assassin who is betrayed by his master and long-term ally. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024

Based on the classic 1971 novel of the same name, the series stars Eddie Redmayne as Jackal, an elusive lone assassin who makes a living carrying out hits. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Despite being one of the most famous assassins on the planet, Lucanis enjoys a good cup of coffee and roaming the streets of Treviso. —Kazuma Hashimoto, Them, 28 Oct. 2024

Girl takes out a Russian assassin with a single blow to the head. —Sarene Leeds, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin assassinus, from Arabic ḥashshāshīn, plural of ḥashshāsh worthless person, literally, hashish user, from hashīsh hashish

First Known Use

circa 1520, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing assassin

• assassin bug

Kids Definition

assassin

noun

as·​sas·​sin ə-ˈsas-ən 

: a person who kills another person

especially : one who murders a politically important person either for pay or from loyalty to a cause