Killed suddenly and deliberately, usually for political or religious reasons by someone hired or motivated to do so.
From Old French 'assassiner,' derived from Arabic 'hashashin' (users of hashish), referring to a medieval Islamic sect known for political murders. The word traveled through European languages, eventually meaning any premeditated murder of an important person.
The word 'assassin' comes from an actual group called the Assassins—a medieval Persian sect that used strategic killings to fight against the Crusades. Their reputation was so feared that their name became synonymous with murder itself!
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