murderer

noun

mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər 

: one who murders

especially : one who commits the crime of murder

Synonyms of murderer

• assassin
• killer

Examples of murderer in a Sentence

the murderer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole

Recent Examples on the Web

More than 40 years later, no efforts have been made to prosecute or extradite the presumptive murderers. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2026

But poison, which so often served as the deadly weapon in her books, provided Christie with an intriguing literary arsenal for murderers. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Playing a dark character was hardly a new shtick for Woods, who landed his breakout role as real-life murderer Gregory Powell in The Onion Field (1979). — Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026

Here, however, the show pulls a fast one, revealing that the murderer isn’t Pam, but instead a young girl named Grace (Gwendolyn Sundstrom). — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing murderer

• mass murderer

Legal Definition

murderer

noun

mur·​der·​er ˈmər-dər-ər 

: a person who commits murder