Definition

1. Noun:
   • A female murderer: A woman who commits the crime of murder; a woman who unlawfully kills another person with malice aforethought.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The novel's antagonist is a cunning murderess who evades capture for years.
  • The trial revealed the accused murderess had planned the crime meticulously.

Advanced Usage

• The term "murderess" is specifically gendered, denoting a female perpetrator. In modern legal and general contexts, the gender-neutral term "murderer" is increasingly used for all individuals, regardless of gender.
  • The headline read "Murderer Sentenced to Life," though the defendant was a woman.

Variants and Related Words

• Murder (n/verb): The unlawful killing of a person; to commit such a killing.
  • He was charged with murder.
• Murderer (n): A person who commits murder (traditionally male, but now often gender-neutral).
  • The police apprehended the murderer.
• Homicide (n): The killing of one person by another (a broader, more formal/legal term that includes murder).
  • The case was ruled a justifiable homicide.

Synonyms

• Killer: A person or thing that kills.
• Assassin: A murderer, especially one who kills a prominent political figure.

Related Phrases

• To be convicted as a murderess: To be found legally guilty of being a female murderer.
  • She was the last woman in the state to be convicted as a murderess before the law's wording changed.

Noun

1. a woman murderer