An attack, especially an assassination attempt or violent assault on a political leader.
From French 'attentat' (attack, assault), derived from Latin 'attemptare' (to attempt, attack). Used in English particularly in 19th-20th century political contexts.
This French-origin word appears mainly in English historical accounts of European politics—saying 'the attentat of 1881' sounds more refined than 'the assassination attempt,' which is why diplomats favored it.
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