"Assassin" and "Assassins" redirect here. For other uses, see Assassin (disambiguation).
Assassination is the targeted killing of an individual who is in a high-profile position.[1] An added distinction between assassination and other forms of killing is that the assassin has an ideological or political motivation, though many assassins (especially those not part of an organization) also demonstrate insanity[citation needed][dubious – discuss]; other motivations are money (contract killing), revenge, or a military operation.

The assassination euphemism targeted killing (extrajudicial execution) also is used for government-sanctioned killing of opponents.[2] 'Assassination' itself, along with terms such as 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter', may in this context be considered a loaded term, as it implies an act where the proponents of such killings may consider them justified or even necessary.