assassin / attacker
Loading your saved state.
assassin / attacker
A person who carries out a planned attack (an assassination attempt), usually for political, ideological, or religious motives, in order to kill a specific person or spread fear.
Der Attentäter konnte kurz nach der Tat von der Polizei gefasst werden.
The attacker was caught by the police shortly after the act.
The word is made up of 'Attentat' (attack / assassination attempt) and 'Täter' (the person who commits an act). So an 'Attentäter' is literally an 'attack perpetrator'.
Nach dem Attentat suchte die Polizei den Täter.
After the attack, the police searched for the perpetrator.
'Attentäter' is very often used in news and reports. Typical verbs in this context are 'fassen' (to catch), 'verhaften' (to arrest), 'identifizieren' (to identify), or 'stoppen' (to stop).
Die Polizei konnte den flüchtigen Attentäter identifizieren.
The police were able to identify the fleeing attacker.
This word belongs to formal language and is mainly used in the media, by the police, or in historical texts. It describes a person who carries out a targeted, often politically motivated attack.
In der Zeitung wurde ein Foto des mutmaßlichen Attentäters veröffentlicht.
A photo of the suspected attacker was published in the newspaper.
terrorist
Both words can refer to a person who carries out a politically or ideologically motivated attack. „Attentäter“ primarily refers to the perpetrator of a specific planned attack, while „Terrorist“ additionally emphasizes a systematic strategy of violence and fear. „Attentäter“ is therefore often the better term for a single attack.
Die Polizei suchte den Attentäter, der gestern den Anschlag geplant und verübt hatte.
The police were looking for the attacker who had planned and carried out the attack yesterday.
Die Ermittler bezeichneten ihn als Terroristen, weil er über Jahre mehrere Anschläge plante.
The investigators called him a terrorist because he had planned several attacks over a period of years.
