verb (used with object), as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing. to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously. to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously: to assassinate a person's character.

When we use assassinate?

To assassinate someone means to target and deliberately kill that person. The word assassinate is almost always used to describe the killing of a famous person. When a political leader or very well-known person is murdered, the killer is said to assassinate the victim.

What is an example of assassinate?

Frequency: Assassinate is defined as the act of killing someone (usually a famous person) deliberately, or the act of killing someone after being hired to do so. An example of assassinate is pulling the trigger on a gun to kill a President. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons.