assailant
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of assailant
From the Middle French word assaillant, dating back to 1525–35. See assail, -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The sheriff said the assailant appeared to be alone in the vehicle and police dogs were checking the car for explosives.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
She said the assailant had a local accent, with a trace of another, and a shiny hairless chest.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
The assailant, identified as Anthony Kazmierczak, had the sort of online posting history that you would expect and had told a neighbor that he might be arrested at an upcoming Omar event.
From Slate • Jan. 31, 2026
A police captain, knowing Pratt painted and drew as a hobby, asked if he’d go interview a survivor of one of these attacks in the hospital and sketch the assailant, based on the woman’s description.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
Joe was made to say in court what the victim remembered her assailant saying to her, but she testified that Joe's voice “could very easily be” that of the perpetrator.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
