Meaning & use

assassination

noun·Advanced

The murder of a prominent or important person, usually for political reasons.

See it in a sentence

The assassination of the president shocked the nation and triggered days of unrest.

Historians still debate the exact motives behind the assassination of the archduke.

A note on using this word

Reserved for the deliberate killing of a public figure, unlike ordinary murder, which lacks that political dimension.

Words with a similar meaning

murderkilling

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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