assassinate
v.v. to murder a famous or important person, usually for political reasons.
v. to murder a prominent person, such as a political leader or public figure, by a sudden or secret attack. Often implies a premeditated act motivated by ideological or political goals.
The group planned to assassinate the president during the parade.
Security forces were on high alert following reports of a plot to assassinate the visiting prime minister.
History changed forever when a lone gunman managed to assassinate the Archduke, triggering a chain of events that led directly to the outbreak of the First World War.
From assassin + -ate, after Middle French assassiner.
From assassin + -ate (noun-forming suffix).
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, typically a person of high status.
The leader was assassinated by a car accidentThe leader was killed in a car accidentAssassinate implies a deliberate, planned murder; it cannot be used for accidental deaths.