What does assassinating mean?
Assassinating is the present participle and gerund of the verb assassinate, meaning to kill deliberately and treacherously, most often a prominent public figure such as a head of state, politician, or activist, for political, religious, or ideological reasons. It appears chiefly in formal writing — news reports, historical accounts, legal contexts — and typically follows verbs like accused of, charged with, or plotting. Beyond its literal sense, English also uses it figuratively: journalists may speak of assassinating someone's character, meaning to destroy a reputation through malicious attacks. The word carries strong connotations of premeditation, secrecy, and betrayal; unlike ordinary murder, an assassination implies the victim's public prominence and a motive beyond personal gain. Its dramatic history — tied to the sect known as the Assassins in medieval Persia — gives it lasting resonance in discussions of political violence.
Killing (a prominent person) suddenly or secretly, especially for political reasons.
"The conspirators were arrested before they could carry out the plot of assassinating the president."
Almost always used with a human, politically significant object in the literal sense.
(Figurative) Ruining or destroying something intangible, especially a person's reputation or character.
"Critics accused the paper of assassinating the scientist's character through selective quoting."
Journalistic register; always figurative when applied to non-physical targets.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of assassinating
Assassinating derives from the verb assassinate, which entered English in the early 17th century from the medieval Latin assassinare, itself built on the noun assassin. That noun came through French and Italian from Arabic ḥashshāshīn, a name applied to the Nizari Ismaili sect of Persia, reportedly a reference to their use of hashish — though this etymology is debated among scholars. Related forms include assassination, assassinative, and the agentive assassin.
Related word forms
How assassinating is actually used
Strictly a formal register; 'assassinating' is far less common than the noun 'assassination' or the simple past 'assassinated'. The figurative sense ('assassinating someone's character') is well established but considered journalistic rather than literal.
Easily confused with assassinating
'Assassination' is the noun naming the act itself, while 'assassinating' is the verb form describing the ongoing action of carrying out that act.