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

Both opened with a car crash and closed with an assassination attempt on the attorney general. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 June 2025

Iran ordered an assassination attempt against Trump and tried to kill an Iranian-American journalist living in Brooklyn. —Brian Bennett, Time, 19 June 2025

The anonymous pizza deliveries reportedly began shortly before the assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, but continued as authorities conducted a manhunt for the assassin. —Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 19 June 2025

The play imagines what would happen if President Lincoln's assassination wasn't exactly a bad thing for his insufferable wife. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 18 June 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