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.
Reeves is John Wick, but that doesn't mean that the world that is currently being built around the famed assassin doesn't have others that could act as de facto John Wick. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025 In his presentation on Monday, Hochman drew a parallel between the Menendez case and the case of Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert Kennedy. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025 But Pikachu is breaking down barriers far beyond Pallet Town; the beloved rosy-cheeked assassin hates all boundaries. Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 6 Mar. 2025 This time, he and his brother (Jon Bernthal) are drawn into a web of unknown assassins when his old Treasury Department friend (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) requests his help in solving a murder. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 23 Mar. 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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