The act of assassinating; a killing by treacherous violence.

Murder of political figures or other prominent individuals for political purposes.

murder of a public figure by surprise attack

a murder, however, not a killing in self-defense

The murder of a famous person or public official. President Lincoln was assassinated while attending a performance at Ford's Theatre.

when someone important is killed, often for political reasons

Assassination is the murder of a political figure or other important individual. An added distinction between assasination and other forms of killing is that an assassin usually has an ideological or political motivation, though many assassins (especially those who are not part of an organised movement) also show elements of insanity. Other motivations may be money (as in the case of a contract killing), revenge, or as a military operation.