verb
assassinate
uh-SAS-ih-nayt/əˈsæsɪneɪt/
To murder a prominent person for political or ideological motives.
The memorial honors the politician assassinated during a public speech.
Etymology
Latin assassinare derives from the name associated with the Nizari Ismailis and their reputation for murdering opposing leaders. The English verb applies this association to killing an important person by sudden or secret attack.
In context
imagine if lyndon johnson went on national television and told the american public that he felt that the soviet union or cuba was involved in a plot to assassinate their president john f kennedy
More examples
- The conspirators assassinated the official.
- The novel concerns a plot to assassinate a diplomat.
- The false allegations assassinate her character.
Forms
assassinate · assassinates · assassinated · assassinating
assassination noun — murder of a prominent person