Definition

Noun 1. An armed person, especially one who uses a gun to commit a crime or act of violence: A person, typically a criminal, who is armed with and uses a gun. 2. A person skilled in the use of a gun; a shooter: A person regarded in terms of their skill or proficiency with a firearm.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Criminal): The primary use refers to a criminal armed with a gun.
  • The bank robbery was carried out by two masked gunmen.
  • Police are searching for the gunman who opened fire in the crowded street.
• Noun (Skilled shooter): This usage is less common and often appears in historical or specific contexts.
  • He was known as the fastest gunman in the West.
  • The unit was composed of expert gunmen.

Advanced Usage

• "Lone gunman": A phrase often used in news reports to describe a perpetrator who acts alone in a shooting attack.
  • Authorities believe the attack was the work of a lone gunman.

Variants and Related Words

• Gunwoman (noun): The female equivalent of 'gunman'.
• Shooter (noun): A more general term for a person who shoots a firearm, which can be neutral (e.g., a sport shooter) or negative (e.g., a criminal).
• Assassin (noun): A person who murders a prominent figure, often for political or monetary reasons. (More specific than 'gunman').
• Hitman (noun): A paid criminal who murders a targeted individual. (Implies a professional contract killer).

Synonyms

• Armed man
• Shooter
• Marksman (when emphasizing skill, not criminal intent)
• Assailant (when referring to an attacker)

Related Phrases

• To be held at gunpoint: To be threatened by someone pointing a gun at you.
  • The cashier was held at gunpoint during the robbery.

Noun

1. a person who shoots a gun (as regards their ability)
2. a professional killer who uses a gun