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

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

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

As one might expect, a telepathic first grader with a wild imagination who lives with a spy and an assassin can get caught up in plenty of shenanigans.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2025

Then in 1990 he got attention for his turn as the hard-nosed secret agent handling Anne Parillaud's female assassin Nikita, in Besson's hit film of the same name.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

On the Ninth Circuit, Judge Kennedy ruled against Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, the would-be assassin of President Ford, on a petition to reduce her bail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

The restoration of the theater was meant as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, but Ford’s has also become a memorial to his assassin.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson