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.
The actor and martial arts master plays Caine, a blind assassin who uses advanced hearing to beat-up bad guys in creative and brutal ways, as well as - what else? - a cane. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Having said that, Shinobi already means assassin so the name is a bit redundant. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 In 1967: Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, President John F. Kennedy’s assassin, died of cancer before his second trial. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025 Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin who murdered President John F. Kennedy, is often described as a former Marine. Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near assassin

Cite this Entry

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