serial killer

British

noun

a person who carries out a series of murders

"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

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.

Author Michelle McNamara a decade ago helped revive interest in a serial killer who stalked parts of California in the 1970s and 1980s.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

If you saw her on “American Horror Story: Coven” somehow making a serial killer and slave abuser almost sympathetic, you know that particular Emmy was earned.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2025

Former Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Davis has called for a retrial of convicted baby serial killer nurse Lucy Letby.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2025

What were the unique challenges of portraying a female serial killer?

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2024

She’s a lot younger than I thought, but at least she’s not a serial killer.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023