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

Lynton recounts a table read of the script for Seth Rogen comedy The Interview, which ends with the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2026

This includes the massive Hezbollah terrorist network, severely damaged by Israeli strikes and assassinations during the Hamas conflict, and the Houthis in Yemen. —John Miller, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026

The 2018 assassination of rights activist and Rio de Janeiro city council member Marielle Franco, a rising star in Brazilian politics, reverberated worldwide. —Marina Dias, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2026

The mom-of-two has become one of the conservative movement’s most recognizable figuressince her husband's September assassination on the campus of Utah Valley University. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 24 Feb. 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