assassin

noun

as·​sas·​sin ə-ˈsa-sᵊn How to pronounce assassin (audio)
plural assassins
Synonyms of assassin
1
: a person who commits murder
especially : one who murders a politically prominent person either for money or from fanatical adherence to a cause
… the location of the victim's gunshot wounds … might point to a professional assassin. —Wendy Fry
2
Assassin plural Assassins, history : a person belonging to a Shia Muslim sect during the time of the Crusades whose members were notorious for murdering prominent enemies
For a third of a century, no enemy of the Assassins had ever managed to elude them.—Amin Maalouf

Synonyms of assassin

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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.
Created by Tessa Coates, Ride or Die is a spy action comedy about an assassin, Judith (Waddingham) whose latest case inadvertently involves her best friend of more than 20 years, Debbie (Spencer), a politician’s wife. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026 This show loves nothing more this season than to introduce a potential assassin and promptly thwart his plan via blade to the head or neck. — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026 In November 2024, assassins on a motorcycle in the Pacific port city of Manzanaillo shot dead a rear admiral who was said to have blown the whistle on navy entanglement in fuel-smuggling. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Married assassin Yoo Bo Na (played by Gong Hyo Jin, who’s returning to MBC after 15 years) is back to her vigilante ways after a break, but has to evade potential discovery by her husband, an investigative journalist. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing assassin

Rhymes for assassin

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assassin
assassinate
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Cite this Entry

“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of assassin for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about assassin

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