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 heckler's veto The wave of firings after Kirk's assassination was spurred on by pro-Trump influencers, lawmakers and Vice President JD Vance. — Huo Jingnan, NPR, 23 June 2026

Sotnychenko’s sophomore feature follows a Ukrainian artist who embarks on a project reenacting political assassinations across Europe, driven by a desire to escape. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 June 2026

Meagher examined only a fraction of the government’s documentation of the Kennedy assassination. — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026

He was imprisoned for organizing the assassination of Polish Interior Minister Bronisław Pieracki in 1934. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 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