assassination

noun

as·​sas·​si·​na·​tion ə-ˌsa-sə-ˈnā-shən 

plural assassinations

1

: murder by sudden or secret attack often for political reasons : the act or an instance of assassinating someone (such as a prominent political leader)

the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

an assassination attempt

In medieval days, assassination by poisoning was common enough to alarm many a king, and protection was sought in the form of prayers, food tasters and science.

—The New York Times

2

: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation

character assassination

Examples of assassination in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The detentions come after a handful of other arrests months earlier, but Fúnez has long been pinpointed by local environmental and religious leaders as the man who spearheaded the assassination. —Marlon González, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

In the aftermath of Kirk’s killing, for instance, high-resolution footage of the assassination collected millions of views online, alarming public health experts. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 May 2026

Federal investigators called the rally shooting an assassination attempt and later concluded the suspect had acted alone. —Terry Collins, USA Today, 11 May 2026

Benicio del Toro plays businessman Zsa-zsa Korda, who takes the most recent of several assassination attempts seriously. —Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 11 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assassination

• character assassination

Rhymes for assassination

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration