What does "assassin" mean?
Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
Assassin
noun, verb
noun, verb ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
- Grammar: assassin is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: alarmist, apache, assassinator, assassinator.
- Useful contrasts: bodyguard, peacemaker, protector.
- Usage evidence: The assassin smothered his victim with a pillow.
How to use "assassin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "assassin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "assassin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "assassin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "assassin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "assassin" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alarmist" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "assassin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who intentionally kills a person, especially a professional who kills a public or political figure.
"The hand that held the bond of so many jarring interests lay powerless beneath the pall. The perils of war had been about him, and the midnight assassin had watched his path; yet he died quietly in his bed."
- 2 a murderer (especially one who kills a prominent political figure) who kills by a surprise attack and often is hired to do the deed wordnet
- 3 Any ruthless killer.
- 4 a member of a secret order of Muslims (founded in the 12th century) who terrorized and killed Christian Crusaders wordnet
- 5 A member of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community of the Alamut Period. capitalized, historical, usually
"The Assassines, a nation depending of Phœnicia, are esteemed among the Mahometists of a soveraigne devotion and puritie of maners; they hold, that the readiest and shortest way to gaine Paradise, is to kill some one of a contrary religion[…]."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 An associated prime of a module. humorous
Verb
- 1 To assassinate. nonstandard
Antonyms
Example
"The assassin smothered his victim with a pillow."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "assassin"?
Common synonyms include: alarmist, apache, assassinator, assassinator, bloodletter, bloodshedder.
How do you use "assassin" in a sentence?
The assassin smothered his victim with a pillow.
Etymology
From either French assassin or Italian assassino, from Arabic أَسَاسِيِّين (ʔasāsiyyīn, “people who are faithful to the foundation [of the faith]”) and the folkloric etymology Arabic حَشَّاشِين (ḥaššāšīn, “hashish users; low-lives”). The mathematical sense was introduced by Bourbaki, playing on the notation operatorname Ass(M) and the fact that an associated prime is the annihilator of an element, and so is said to kill that element.