gunman

noun

gun·​man ˈgən-mən 

1

: a man armed with a gun

especially : a professional killer

2

: a man noted for speed or skill in handling a gun

Examples of gunman in a Sentence

They were shot by an unknown gunman.

Recent Examples on the Web

The gunman was firing from east to west under the construction scaffolding, which stretches the length of three apartment buildings. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Boston police are searching for a gunman who shot and killed a man inside a Hyde Park gas station on Wednesday. — Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

The official inquiry held gunman Mun Se-gwang solely responsible. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

In 2022, gunmen attacked two electrical substations in North Carolina, knocking out power to roughly 45,000 customers for multiple days. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gunman

noun

gun·​man -mən 

: a person armed with a gun

especially : an armed criminal