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
Several protesters with megaphones frequently celebrated or mocked the assassination of Charlie Kirk, usually accompanying the taunts with profanity.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 7 Jan. 2026
In 1925, Capone took over as boss when his friend, Johnny Torrio, retired after being injured in a failed assassination, the FBI said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Hegseth said in a social media message Monday that the military has started to take action against Kelly, a former astronaut and the husband of Gabby Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman shot in 2011 in an assassination attempt.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
There is no public evidence to suggest the assassination was motivated by that vote.
—Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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