serial killer
nounUK /ˈsɪəɹɪəl ˌkɪlə/ · US /ˈsɪəɹiəl ˌkɪlɚ/
1
Criminology, Human sciences, Law, Sciences An individual who murders three or more people, with the killings taking place over a period of more than one month in three or more separate events.
- “It’s easier to sort of attribute these deaths to a boogeyman serial killer as opposed to confronting the real possible reasons that these deaths are happening,” she said, pointing to mental health, substance abuse and housing issues.2025 October 27, Dalia Faheid, “Bodies keep being recovered from the bayous around Houston. Why officials are convinced it’s not the work of a serial killer”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Oct 2025:
- Derived terms
- serial kill, serial killer glasses, serial killer van
- Related terms
- mass murderer