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.
In The Accountant 2, premiering April 25 in theaters, Affleck and Bernthal reunite as brothers Christian and Braxton, who come together to help track down a mysterious assassin. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2025 The beret-lover with the $20,000 necklace (Lauren McKnight) was the second assassin. Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Who is a better assassin than someone who doesn’t feel anything? Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 14 Apr. 2025 Ellie has grown from a 14-year-old survivor to a 19-year-old assassin. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 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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