murderer

noun

mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər How to pronounce murderer (audio)
Synonyms of murderernext
: one who murders
especially : one who commits the crime of murder

Examples of murderer in a Sentence

the murderer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole
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.
This riveting psychological procedural turns the genre on its head by immediately unmasking its murderer, Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan), a dedicated family man and serial killer targeting women in Belfast. Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 Any justice in the community would praise this murderer’s row of craftspeople working on the production design for the period town setting; makeup, especially Pennywise’s horrible face; sound design, for helping to keep the audio terrors churning along; and the costume work. William Earl, Variety, 11 June 2026 That’s not exactly a murderer’s row of opponents either. Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 11 June 2026 That is always top of mind for writers like Ian Brennan, whose story about life and motivations of one of the most notorious murderers and grave robbers in American history was also an exploration of complex mental health struggles. Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for murderer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of murderer was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Murderer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murderer. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

murderer

noun
mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər How to pronounce murderer (audio)
: a person who commits murder

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