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
The Sister Bay incident follows a pattern of social media backlash that happened soon after Kirk's assassination in September.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Following President Kennedy's assassination in 1963, Congress passed a law the following year naming the center as a living memorial to him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, was taken into custody as a suspect in the assassination.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassination
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Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 29 Dec. 2025
Following President Kennedy's assassination in 1963, Congress passed a law the following year naming the center as a living memorial to him.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, the murder of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah, was taken into custody as a suspect in the assassination.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assassination
Cite this Entry
“Assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assassination. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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