1
capitalized
: 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
2
: a person who commits murder
especially
: one who murders a politically important person either for money or from fanatical adherence to a cause
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
MacNeil was transferred to NBC’s Washington bureau in 1963 during the Kennedy administration and reported extensively from Dallas when President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin.
—
Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Early talks between American and German officials explored whether Berlin would be willing to let the assassin go if Russia released the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny in addition to Mr. Gershkovich and Mr. Whelan.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Pugh plays assassin Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
Klimek: Who was put in charge of tracking down the assassin?
Swanson: Private detectives, bounty hunters, U.S. Army patrols.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Could the vicious Russian spy and assassin be behind the savage deaths that Scarpetta, Virginia’s chief medical examiner, is investigating?
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2024
The Kennedy siblings have become divided in the years following their father’s death, though, over the issue of his assassin’s parole.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024
La Serenissima retorted by sending an assassin to France; two of those workmen mysteriously wound up dead.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Across her four bottom-two performances that earned her the title of season 16's lip-sync assassin, Mhi'ya broke other cardinal rules set forth by Mama RuPaul — including taking her shoes off in a duel against Megami.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Early talks between American and German officials explored whether Berlin would be willing to let the assassin go if Russia released the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny in addition to Mr. Gershkovich and Mr. Whelan.
—Katie Robertson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Pugh plays assassin Yelena Belova in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
Klimek: Who was put in charge of tracking down the assassin?
Swanson: Private detectives, bounty hunters, U.S. Army patrols.
—Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Could the vicious Russian spy and assassin be behind the savage deaths that Scarpetta, Virginia’s chief medical examiner, is investigating?
—Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 25 Feb. 2024
The Kennedy siblings have become divided in the years following their father’s death, though, over the issue of his assassin’s parole.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024
La Serenissima retorted by sending an assassin to France; two of those workmen mysteriously wound up dead.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
Across her four bottom-two performances that earned her the title of season 16's lip-sync assassin, Mhi'ya broke other cardinal rules set forth by Mama RuPaul — including taking her shoes off in a duel against Megami.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assassin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Assassin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassin. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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