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

Poet and teacher Margaret Walker and Eudora also crossed paths during the aftermath of the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, which occurred on the same street that Margaret lived on. — Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026

Following the assassination of a German diplomat in Paris, Nazi propaganda exploits the incident to unleash a wave of violence against the Jewish population. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026

The Pinkerton detectives are possibly closing in on two suspects in the assassination attempt. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026

During the call, Murdoch suggested viewers had grown a little weary of watching the news after seeing difficult stories over the past year, such as the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Nov. 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