assassin

American  

[uh-sas-in] / əˈsæs ɪn /

noun

1. a murderer, especially one who kills a politically prominent person for fanatical or monetary reasons.

2. (initial capital letter) one of an order of Muslim fanatics, active in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1272, whose chief object was to assassinate Crusaders.

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Assassin ¹ British  

/ əˈsæsɪn /

noun

1. a member of a secret sect of Muslim fanatics operating in Persia and Syria from about 1090 to 1256, murdering their victims, usually Crusaders

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assassin ² British  

/ əˈsæsɪn /

noun

1. a murderer, esp one who kills a prominent political figure

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Etymology

Origin of assassin

1525–35; < Medieval Latin assassinī (plural) < Arabic ḥashshāshīn eaters of hashish

Example Sentences

He called the shooting a "very sad situation" on Tuesday and refused to back Miller's "assassin" description -- while insisting that under-fire Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem would not step down.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

Senior presidential adviser Stephen Miller called Pretti a "would-be assassin".

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

The assassin may have been lost to history by nearly everyone but Stephen Sondheim.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Netflix’s four-part miniseries, based on Candice Millard’s nonfiction book, tells the little known story of President James A. Garfield and his assassin.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Melville explained that Vaughan was big and strong, which meant that the assassin had to have been physically powerful or helped by accomplices.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann