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
The New York Times2
: treacherous destruction of a person's reputation
character assassination
Examples of assassination in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Successive transitions Haiti has now gone 10 years without an election, and nearly five years in a succession of transitions following the July 7, 2021, assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
All were marked for assassination by an anarchist cook named Jean Crones, who spiked the soup stock with arsenic.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Nearly everyone in this community was vocal after Kirk’s assassination in September, and made passionate calls for all Americans to condemn violence.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There were maybe as many as half a dozen serious assassination attempts-- which were not random people.
—Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assassination
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Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026
All were marked for assassination by an anarchist cook named Jean Crones, who spiked the soup stock with arsenic.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Nearly everyone in this community was vocal after Kirk’s assassination in September, and made passionate calls for all Americans to condemn violence.
—Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
There were maybe as many as half a dozen serious assassination attempts-- which were not random people.
—Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assassination
Cite this Entry
“Assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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