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 vigil, which had been planned several weeks in advance, was organized by the Genesee County Republican Party as a reaction to violent incidents such as the assassination of Charlie Kirk. —Tess Ware, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025

Adults can’t expect to cosy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a friend’s assassination, then assert their right to the former friend’s love, as though the friend was in fact their mother. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025

Kirk has been frequently honored at major football events since his assassination earlier in September. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025

Some candidates running in the 2026 midterm have already invoked Kirk’s assassination in campaign ads and fundraising materials. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 27 Sep. 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