Synonyms

assassination

American

[uh-sas-uh-ney-shuhn] / əˌsæs əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

the premeditated act of killing someone suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person.

The meticulous way in which the journalist's assassination was carried out has led to suspicions that his killers were professionals working for state security.
the act of destroying or harming treacherously and viciously.

They went after me with everything they had, engaging in character assassination and in destroying my reputation—a complete fabrication and frame-up.

Other Word Forms

counterassassination noun

Etymology

Origin of assassination

assassin(ate) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kalshi is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and says it doesn’t permit bets on wars or assassinations.

From MarketWatch

Kalshi, which is a U.S.-regulated entity, doesn’t allow bets on wars or assassinations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Khamenei survived an assassination attempt in 1981, when explosives hidden in a tape recorder injured him and deprived him for life of the use of his right arm.

From The Wall Street Journal

Shortly after the crisis, Khamenei was fortunate to survive an assassination attempt.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023