assassinated

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assassinated" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to describe the act of deliberately killing a prominent person, often for political reasons. Example: "The historical figure was assassinated due to his controversial policies and leadership style."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

If you look at political assassinations, Indira Gandhi was assassinated and her son Rajiv Gandhi was too, and the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh also faced a serious assassination attempt.

The Guardian

Higgins made his own gesture when he bowed his head at the memorial brass in Westminster Abbey to Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the Queen's second cousin, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.

The Guardian

First was a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement, alongside her husband Joe Slovo; she was assassinated by the South African police in 1982.

The Guardian

Kabila, whose father, Laurent Kabila, toppled Mobutu in 1997 and was assassinated in 2001, gained power after his father's death, when politicians rushed to make the young soldier head of state.

The Guardian

When the widow of Mohammad Ali Rajai, the prime minister assassinated in the early years of the revolution, went with others to seek the support of senior clerics in Qom, she was reportedly arrested.

The Guardian

And Marren points out the long history of the red admiral butterfly as a symbol of "evil": red represents danger in nature, and the superstitious saw its blood-red wings as a sign of foreboding when vast numbers of them appeared across Russia in 1881, when Tsar Alexander II was assassinated.

The Guardian - Film

But in the four years since that plan was announced, Trumka said, 100 more Colombian trade unionists have been assassinated.

The Guardian

Yet he was present at the minister's speech – in honour of a Sri Lankan foreign minister assassinated in 2005 – and at the tea afterwards where he worked a room full of local politicians, diplomats and journalists.

The Guardian

The most violent paramilitary leader of the Croatian and Bosnian wars, Zeljko Raznatovic, known universally as Arkan, was the leader of the most violent Red Star fans, the delije, who he recruited to form the core of his paramilitary group, the Tigers, who murdered and pillaged their way across the wreckage of Yugoslavia, before Arkan was assassinated in Belgrade in 2000.

The Guardian - Sport

When Moqtada's two elder brothers and father were assassinated by Saddam Hussein's agents in 1999, he went underground.

The Guardian - Opinion

A tweet from Ansar Bangla 7, a previously unknown fundamentalist group, said: "Anti-Islamic blogger US-Bengali citizen Avijit Roy is assassinated in capital #Dhaka due to his crime against #Islam".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "assassinated" when referring to the targeted killing of a prominent figure, especially for political reasons. This ensures clarity and precision in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "assassinated" when describing accidental deaths or killings without political motives. Stick to terms like "killed" or "murdered" for general cases.

Linguistic Context

The word "assassinated" functions as a verb in the past tense or past participle form. It describes the act of deliberately killing a prominent person, often for political reasons. Ludwig provides numerous examples of its use in news articles and historical contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

0.5%

Reference

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "assassinated" is used to describe the deliberate killing of a prominent person, often for political reasons. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage and high frequency, particularly in news and media contexts. While grammatically sound and widely accepted, it's crucial to differentiate "assassinated" from general terms like "killed" or "murdered", reserving it for instances with significant political or public impact. Related phrases include "murdered", "slain" and "eliminated" offering varying degrees of formality and contextual nuance. Using "assassinated" precisely enhances the clarity and impact of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Assassinated in cold blood

Emphasizes the calculated and ruthless nature of the assassination.

Politically eliminated

Specifically emphasizes the political motivation behind the killing.

Murdered

A more general term for killing, applicable in a wider range of contexts.

Slain

A more literary or archaic term for killed.

Eliminated

Implies a deliberate removal, often used in covert or strategic contexts.

Executed

Suggests a formal or legal killing, though sometimes used euphemistically.

Liquidated

Often used in contexts involving organized crime or espionage.

Neutralized

A euphemism suggesting rendering someone incapable of action, often through death.

Met a violent end

A euphemistic way to describe being killed, avoiding direct language.

Taken out

An informal term suggesting a planned killing.

FAQs

What distinguishes "assassinated" from "killed"?

"Assassinated" specifically implies the targeted killing of a prominent person, often for political reasons, while "killed" is a more general term for causing death.

Are there situations where "murdered" is a better choice than "assassinated"?

Yes, "murdered" is preferable when the victim isn't a prominent figure or the killing lacks political motivation. "Assassinated" is reserved for politically significant killings.

What are some alternatives to "assassinated"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "murdered", "slain", or "eliminated".

Is it correct to use "assassinated" to describe the death of an animal?

No, "assassinated" is generally reserved for human victims, especially those of political significance. Using it for animals would be inappropriate. You might want to use other words such as "killed" or "slaughtered".