assassinate
assassinate Lexical Profile
assassinate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To murder an important or prominent person by a sudden or covert attack, typically for political, ideological, or religious reasons.
"Historians have long studied how the conspiracy to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered the outbreak of World War I."
To destroy or maliciously damage someone's reputation, character, or public standing through slander or false accusations.
"The rival campaign attempted to assassinate the candidate's character through a series of misleading television advertisements."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike 'murder', which applies to any unlawful killing, 'assassinate' is restricted to the targeted killing of a prominent political, religious, or public figure.
• Rhymes for assassinate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 17th century from Medieval Latin 'assassinare', derived from Arabic 'hashshashin' (literally 'hashish users'), a name applied during the Crusades to the Nizari Ismailis, a secretive sect famed for the targeted killing of political rivals.