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

Some of Zahnd’s career highlights include the 2022 conviction of Grayden Denham, the first quadruple murderer in the county’s history, and the 2020 murder conviction of Letti Strait for the shooting death of Charles Cammisano, her ex-husband. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Patrick testified and found himself at the center of an online swarm of sleuths and influencers dissecting every detail of the case, developing theories that portray him as uncaring, unfaithful and even the murderer of his children. — Ross Douthat, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

The crime followed Lizzie for the rest of her life, constantly garnering media attention but the murderer was never found. — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026

In previous seasons depicting infamous American murderers Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the Menendez brothers, their, uh, creative interpretation of the facts prompted backlash from victims’ families and sparked debate over the ethics of true crime. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 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