How does one define an ASSASSINATION vs. a killing or a murder in general ?

Preplanned, single target, target has political or other broad significance. Kirk or the health care CEO. That was a killing that was a public statement. That's the difference.

Husband angry at his wife, guy robbing a gas station... I'm sure you understand my answer.

That's a really good question.

It appears that an "assassination" is directly related to politics or individuals who rule (kings etc) It makes me wonder if that language was used, in law making, to differentiate from a murder of a common person? Maybe an assassination held greater penalty because it was a prominent person (paving the way for different laws for different people).

Someone else asked this question and, at the time, I Googled it. According to Google AI, assasination is a sub-type of the larger category of murder. It is a murder that is motivated by a difference in political or philosophical positions.

So, my understanding would be that a President being killed because he slept with the murder's spouse would simply be a murder. But a non-politician or government official who was killed because he espoused beliefs that the killer felt were objectionable would be an assasination. 🤷‍♀

I just apply it if the person is a figure with some form of power over others. Charlie Kirk was one of the most powerful political voices in the country. He counts.

I think it gets to the motive. Like it’s a political or ideological statement. Not a personal or random thing.

Motivation to start with, I'd guess, combined with the person's position in society.

This is a really important question to be asking. Always look at how your source defines the variables.

That's kind of what I always thought. Like if somebody shot me in the throat, it's a murder, but if somebody shot a podcaster with 20 million listeners, it's an assassination.

The weird thing is, that used to be a term that was used only for actual politicians, but I think they've changed it within our lifetimes.

Preplanned and political vs personal or random would be my definition.

Political reasons maybe? This is a good question. 🤔

Agree, the far right see Kirk as almost as godlike as TACO. They are pros at wordsmithing!

By definition an assassination is done for (primarily) political reasons. Therefore, one doesn't necessarily have to be a celebrity to have been assassinated.

According to the various dictionaries I have perused, an assassination is a sudden or secretive murder of a public figure, often for political reasons.

Someone killed by the Order of Hasan-i Sabbah.

https://legalclarity.org/what-is-the-difference-between-assassination-and-murder/

An assassination is the murder of prominante person and with ideological or political motives.