assassinate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
- Synonyms:
- slay
-
to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously.
to assassinate a person's character.
verb
-
to murder (a person, esp a public or political figure), usually by a surprise attack
-
to ruin or harm (a person's reputation, etc) by slander
Other Word Forms
- assassination noun
- assassinative adjective
- assassinator noun
- unassassinated adjective
Etymology
Origin of assassinate
Explanation
To assassinate someone means to target and deliberately kill that person. The word assassinate is almost always used to describe the killing of a famous person. When a political leader or very well-known person is murdered, the killer is said to assassinate the victim. A killer might assassinate someone for political or ideological reasons, to gain fame for the act, or possibly for payment by someone else. You can assassinate figuratively, as well, by damaging a person's good name: "If you print that story, it will assassinate my reputation." The Arabic root of assassin is hashishiyyin, "hashish users."
Vocabulary lists containing assassinate
"The Civil Rights Movement"
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September Words
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English Words Derived from Arabic
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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.
The Washington Hilton, where John Hinckley Jr attempted to assassinate then-President Ronald Reagan 45 years ago, said it followed security instructions from the Secret Service.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
A man was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison at a US court for his involvement in a plot to assassinate Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist highly critical of Tehran.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
The HSCA’s link analysis about the Grapevine Tavern and its conclusion that the Ray family was deeply involved in the plan to assassinate King were never pursued by the Department of Justice.
From Slate • Dec. 1, 2025
In 2003 Hamas officials reportedly met in Qatar after Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025
Then Gale says, “Katniss, we all knew you were lying about Coin sending you to assassinate Snow.”
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
