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assassinate

[uh-sas-uh-neyt]
verb (used with object), as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing.
  1. to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
  2. to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously: to assassinate a person's character.
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Origin of assassinate

First recorded in 1590–1600; assassin + -ate1
Related formsas·sas·si·na·tion, nounas·sas·si·na·tive, adjectiveas·sas·si·na·tor, nouncoun·ter·as·sas·si·na·tion, nounun·as·sas·si·nat·ed, adjective

Synonyms

1. slay.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for assassinator

Historical Examples

  • Gin you met this ganglin' assassinator, wha'd be for maister?

    The Best Short Stories of 1917

    Various

  • I think that the firing that was done could have been done with the type gun that they say the assassinator used.

    Warren Commission (6 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)

    The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for assassinator

assassinate

verb (tr)
  1. to murder (a person, esp a public or political figure), usually by a surprise attack
  2. to ruin or harm (a person's reputation, etc) by slander
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Derived Formsassassination, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for assassinator

assassinate

v.

1610s, from past participle stem of Medieval Latin assassinare (see assassin). Of reputations, characters, etc., from 1620s. Related: Assassinated; assassinating.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper