Word
assassination
Phoneticsas·sas·si·na·tion, stress on the fourth syllable
US/əˌsæsəˈneɪʃən/
UK/ɐsˌæsɪnˈeɪʃən/
日本語暗殺※
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. the murder of a famous or important person, usually for political reasons. You use this word when the victim is a leader, like a president or a king.
n. the murder of a prominent person, often a political leader or public figure, typically carried out for political or ideological motives. Often involves a sudden or secret attack.
Examples
“The assassination of the president shocked the entire nation.”
“Security forces were on high alert following rumors of a planned assassination against the visiting diplomat.”
“Historians often debate whether the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the sole cause of the war or merely the final spark in a volatile political landscape.”
Examples
simple
“The assassination of the president shocked the entire nation.”
contextual
“Security forces were on high alert following rumors of a planned assassination against the visiting diplomat.”
complex
“Historians often debate whether the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the sole cause of the war or merely the final spark in a volatile political landscape.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “assassination” in context.
Verb
01. carry out an assassination
“The group claimed they had the resources to carry out an assassination in broad daylight.”
verb + noun
02. plot an assassination
“Intelligence agencies discovered a secret cell that was plotting an assassination of the prime minister.”
verb + noun
03. thwart an assassination
“Security forces managed to thwart an assassination attempt just minutes before the rally began.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. political assassination
“The sudden death of the activist was widely condemned as a cold-blooded political assassination.”
adj + noun
05. targeted assassination
“The military used a drone to perform a targeted assassination of the insurgent leader.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. assassination attempt
“The president survived a failed assassination attempt during his visit to the capital.”
noun + noun
07. character assassination
“The candidate complained that the media was engaging in a systematic character assassination.”
noun + noun
08. wave of assassinations
“The country was destabilized by a sudden wave of assassinations targeting high-ranking officials.”
noun + of + noun
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general act or method; countable when referring to specific historical instances.
Pitfall
the murder of the president was an assassination
the assassination of the president
While technically a murder, 'assassination' is the specific term used for political figures; using 'murder' can sound imprecise in a formal or historical context.
Real-World Examples
“The President departed on a secret military flight from Turkey to Britain last month, prompted by an Iranian assassination threat.” “Tusk said at the time that the killing of Robert Kuzovkov , known by the pseudonym Semyon Skrepetsky, had the hallmarks of a political assassination.” “How developed is the Tehran regime’s assassination operation abroad?” Etymology
From assassinate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/assassination
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0