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
In the twilight of her career, Parker still showed flashes of the once baby-haired assassin who shook up the WNBA.
—
Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
The Day of the Jackal follows a professional British assassin called the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), known only for his ruthless and mysterious methods, and Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), an MI6 agent intent on hunting him down.
—Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 19 June 2025
For one, viewers learn more about the High Table, the assassin hotel The Continental and John's long history in it.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 June 2025
Forsyth hit it big right out of the gate in 1971 with The Day of the Jackal, a chilling political drama about a relentless English assassin, known only as The Jackal, hired by the OAS to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassin
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Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
The Day of the Jackal follows a professional British assassin called the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), known only for his ruthless and mysterious methods, and Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), an MI6 agent intent on hunting him down.
—Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 19 June 2025
For one, viewers learn more about the High Table, the assassin hotel The Continental and John's long history in it.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 June 2025
Forsyth hit it big right out of the gate in 1971 with The Day of the Jackal, a chilling political drama about a relentless English assassin, known only as The Jackal, hired by the OAS to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.
—Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassin
Cite this Entry
“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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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