assassin

noun

as·​sas·​sin ə-ˈsa-sᵊn How to pronounce assassin (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sandra Oh, the daughter of South Korean immigrant parents, follows British agent Eve Polastri charged with catching the elusive and ruthless assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Lesley O'Toole, Variety, 9 May 2025 Reyes ultimately discovers that the plane is filled with assassins looking to kill the Ghost, and eventually him. Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2025 The film premieres June 6, and Keanu Reeves will be showing up to lock horns with the titular assassin. Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025 Screenwriters love to play with the trope of the beautiful but deadly female assassin (often trained as such coercively), who uses her charms as the ultimate cover. Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for assassin

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of assassin was circa 1520

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

assassin

noun
as·​sas·​sin ə-ˈsas-ən How to pronounce assassin (audio)
: a person who kills another person
especially : one who murders a politically important person either for pay or from loyalty to a cause

More from Merriam-Webster on assassin

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