noun

sicario

si-KAR-ee-oh

Sicario (noun) means a hired killer, especially one working for a Latin American drug cartel. Example: “The witness was shot outside the courthouse by a teenage sicario.”

noun

A hired killer, especially one working for a Latin American drug cartel.

"The witness was shot outside the courthouse by a teenage sicario."

"Cartels recruit sicarios from the poorest neighbourhoods of the city."

How to Use Sicario

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA hitman, usually one working for a drug cartel.

When to use it

Borrowed Spanish; used in English crime reporting and fiction, often italicised on first use.

Memory tip

The stress falls on the second syllable: si-CA-rio.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

narco → halcón hitman →

Common pairings

a cartel sicario teenage sicarios worked as a sicario

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The witness was shot outside the courthouse by a teenage _____.

Etymology

Spanish for 'hired killer', from Latin sicarius 'assassin, dagger-man', from sica 'a curved dagger'.

Origin: Spanish

Synonyms

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hitman assassin gunman contract killer hired gun

Related Words

killer shooter ninja murderer assassin torpedo gunman mercenary

Rhymes for sicario

io CIO bio tio rio Mio Pio Gio trio Clio Akio radio

See all rhymes for sicario →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the plural of sicario?

Sicarios, following the Spanish plural. English writing keeps that form rather than adding -es.

Is sicario the same as a cartel member?

Not necessarily. A sicario is specifically the person who carries out killings, the enforcement arm, and may be a low-level contractor rather than part of the organisation's structure. Plenty of cartel members handle logistics, money or product and never kill anyone.

Why is the word so widely known in English?

Largely through coverage of the Mexican drug war and through Denis Villeneuve's 2015 film Sicario, which takes the word as its title and explains it on screen.

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