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
The deal paves the way for new installments for Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, a CIA assassin suffering from amnesia.
—
Katcy Stephan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Bloodsport, being an assassin who has a change of heart and becomes a hero, while also having a deep rat phobia, was fantastic.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Odenkirk stars as Hutch, a suburban dad and master assassin who’s like John Wick with a 401K and sensible shoes.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
But the good times would be short-lived, On Nov. 22, 1963, just days before John turned three and his older sister, Caroline, turned six, an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas, changed not only the history of the world, but the trajectory of the life of the president's heir apparent.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassin
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Katcy Stephan, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Bloodsport, being an assassin who has a change of heart and becomes a hero, while also having a deep rat phobia, was fantastic.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Odenkirk stars as Hutch, a suburban dad and master assassin who’s like John Wick with a 401K and sensible shoes.
—Alex Cramer, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
But the good times would be short-lived, On Nov. 22, 1963, just days before John turned three and his older sister, Caroline, turned six, an assassin's bullet in Dallas, Texas, changed not only the history of the world, but the trajectory of the life of the president's heir apparent.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 10 Aug. 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 20 Aug. 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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