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
1
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 notesIn 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.
Common pairings
a cartel sicario
teenage sicarios
worked as a sicario
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Etymology
Spanish for 'hired killer', from Latin sicarius 'assassin, dagger-man', from sica 'a curved dagger'.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for sicario
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.
What is the meaning of sicario?
"sicario" (noun) means a hired killer, especially one working for a Latin American drug cartel.
