Definition

1. Verb:
   • To murder (a prominent person) by sudden or secret attack, often for political or ideological reasons: This is the primary meaning, referring to the intentional killing of a public figure, typically in a planned, treacherous manner.
   • To destroy or harm (someone's reputation) maliciously and often falsely: A figurative meaning, where the word describes a severe, deliberate attack on someone's character or good name, aiming to ruin it.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (Literal meaning):

  • The plot to assassinate the president was uncovered by intelligence agents.
  • Several historical leaders have been assassinated.

• Verb (Figurative meaning):

  • The journalist wrote an article that attempted to assassinate the mayor's character.
  • In the courtroom, the defense attorney assassinated the credibility of the key witness.

Advanced Usage

• "Character assassination": A common noun phrase derived from the figurative verb meaning. It refers to the deliberate and malicious destruction of a person's reputation.
  • The campaign was not about policies but about the character assassination of the opponent.

Variants and Related Words

• Assassin (n): A person who commits an assassination.

  • The assassin was captured hours after the attack.

• Assassination (n): The act of assassinating someone.

  • The assassination of the diplomat triggered an international crisis.

Synonyms

• Murder (v): To kill unlawfully and with premeditation. (More general than , which implies a prominent victim and specific motives.)
• Execute (v): To put to death, especially as a legal penalty. (Lacks the element of treachery or surprise.)
• Defame (v): To damage the good reputation of someone. (Synonym for the figurative sense.)
• Slander (v): To make false spoken statements damaging to a person's reputation. (A specific way to "assassinate" a reputation.)

Related Phrases

• "To be the target of an assassination attempt": To be the intended victim of a planned murder.
  • The senator survived an assassination attempt last year.

Related Idioms

• "To assassinate someone's character": This is the direct idiomatic use of the verb's figurative meaning.
  • He didn't just criticize her work; he tried to assassinate her character in front of the entire committee.

Verb

1. destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation
   • He assassinated his enemy's character
2. murder; especially of socially prominent persons
   • Anwar Sadat was assassinated because many people did not like his peace politics with Israel