1
capitalized
: 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
2
: a person who commits murder
especially
: one who murders a politically important person either for money or from fanatical adherence to a cause
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
The decision came just two days after a would-be assassin nearly killed the former president at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
—
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2024
The majority of would-be or successful presidential assassins are men.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024
Politics Multiple security failures allowed would-be assassin to get clear shot at Trump
July 16, 2024
As many have discovered throughout history, violence, when conjured, is not easily controlled or quelled.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
In Pennsylvania Saturday, a Trump rally attendee was shot and killed and Trump was injured after a would-be assassin opened fire minutes into the former president’s speech to a crowd in an open air field.
—Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassin 
Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2024
The majority of would-be or successful presidential assassins are men.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024
Politics Multiple security failures allowed would-be assassin to get clear shot at Trump
July 16, 2024
As many have discovered throughout history, violence, when conjured, is not easily controlled or quelled.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
In Pennsylvania Saturday, a Trump rally attendee was shot and killed and Trump was injured after a would-be assassin opened fire minutes into the former president’s speech to a crowd in an open air field.
—Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for assassin
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assassin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
assassin
noun
as·sas·sin
ə-ˈsas-ən 
: a person who kills another person
especially
: one who murders a politically important person either for pay or from loyalty to a cause
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