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

While Chile remains one of the safest countries in Latin America, an influx of organized crime has led to a rising murder rate and hurt economic growth, with a recent spike in high-profile incidents like kidnappings and assassinations. —Fabian Cambero, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

Erika Kirk's one-word message for Candace Owens Weiss asked Erika Kirk about Candace Owens, a former Turning Point USA employee and onetime friend of Charlie Kirk, who has recently been peddling conspiracy theories about his assassination. —CBS News, 14 Dec. 2025

There were also other shootings on college campuses earlier this year, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a September event at Utah Valley University and a shooting at Florida State University in April in which two people were killed and seven were wounded. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 14 Dec. 2025

After the world watched Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the threats against her have only intensified. —Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

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