assassination
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.
“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.”
Uncountable when referring to the general act or method; countable when referring to specific historical instances.
While technically a murder, 'assassination' is the specific term used for political figures; using 'murder' can sound imprecise in a formal or historical context.
“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.”
From assassinate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.