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Synonyms

gunman

American  
[guhn-muhn] / ˈgʌn mən /

noun

plural

gunmen

  1. a person armed with or expert in the use of a gun, gin, gun, especially one ready to use a gun gin gun unlawfully.

  2. a person who makes guns. gun.

gunman British  
/ ˈɡʌnmən /

noun

  1. a man who is armed with a gun, esp unlawfully

  2. a man who is skilled with a gun

  3. a person who makes, repairs, or has expert knowledge of guns

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gunmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of gunman

First recorded in 1615–25; gun 1 + -man

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.

Alleged Bondi Beach gunman Naveed Akram has sought a court order to prevent media from publishing details of his immediate family over concerns about their safety.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Martin is the second gunman discovered by Secret Service agents at Mar-a-Lago in recent years.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

He said during a prior interview with law enforcement that he didn’t see the gunman as he passed by in a parking lot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

Convicted gunman Sirhan Sirhan’s current attorney, Angela Berry, said a team of researchers is combing the files for new evidence.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025

It’s actually hard to tell if he would have preferred the gunman to get away simply to prove his car isn’t so useless.

From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak

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.