ASSASSINATION

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

Murder of a public figure by surprise attack

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("assassination" is a kind of...):

execution; murder; slaying (unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by a human being)

Derivation:

assassinate (murder; especially of socially prominent persons)

Meaning:

An attack intended to ruin someone's reputation

Synonyms:

assassination; blackwash; character assassination

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("assassination" is a kind of...):

calumniation; calumny; defamation; hatchet job; obloquy; traducement (a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions)

Derivation:

assassinate (destroy or damage seriously, as of someone's reputation)