Difference between murder & assassination?

Question

What is the difference between murder & assassination? I was watching TV last night and they were talking about a cold case and a prominent businessman being assassinated and I wondered what the difference was.

Answer 1

Assassination is: Murdering by sudden or secret attack, usually for impersonal reasons; to injure or destroy unexpectedly and treacherously.

Murder is:  The crime of unlawfully killing a person, especially with malice aforethought; to kill (a human being) unlawfully and with premeditated malice.

Doesn't look like there's much difference, though...

Answer 2

Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries. Murder is generally distinguished from other forms of homicide by the elements of malice aforethought and the lack of lawful justification. All jurisdictions, ancient and modern, consider it a most serious crime and therefore impose severe penalty on its commission.

assassination

n.

killing, shooting, slaying; see murder.

Answer 3

plus assasitnation is usually done when someone is hired to do the dirty dead.. murder, you do yourself

Answer 4

Murder is killing someone. Assassination is getting someone else to kill someone, or when someone else gets you to kill someone (Usually for a nominal fee). I hope this helped :)

Answer 5

Assassination is usually the murder of a prominent person for political reasons. Murder is just killing someone.