The earliest recorded English use of assassination is in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where Macbeth weighs the murder of King Duncan. That makes Shakespeare the earliest known literary user of the word—not necessarily the person who first coined it. The noun is formed from assassin and the suffix -ation; assassin came into English through European languages and is ultimately linked to an Arabic name associated with the medieval Nizari Ismaili community.
Where does “assassination” appear in Macbeth?
The word appears in Act 1, Scene 7, as Macbeth considers whether to kill Duncan. He begins, “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well / It were done quickly,” and soon refers to the deed as “th’ assassination.” The passage is part of Macbeth’s private deliberation about the murder and its consequences.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library) | $5.78 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Macbeth: No Fear Shakespeare Side-by-Side Plain English | $4.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Macbeth - Classics | $5.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Macbeth (Cambridge School Shakespeare) | $14.21 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Macbeth (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays) | $4.66 | Buy on Amazon |
Folger Shakespeare Library identifies the word in this speech and describes it as “a word that Shakespeare invents for this play.” That is a useful account of the passage, but the surviving record cannot prove that nobody had said or written the word earlier. Folger Shakespeare Library’s reading of Macbeth’s language provides the scene context and its description of the word.
Did Shakespeare really invent the word?
The careful answer is that Macbeth contains the earliest recorded English use identified by common references. “First recorded” describes the earliest known surviving evidence; it does not establish the exact moment a word was coined. Earlier speech, or a written use in a text that did not survive, cannot be ruled out.
#1 Best Overall
Dates attached to the claim refer to different events. Popular references give 1605 for the earliest known use, while accounts place the play’s composition around 1605–06. Macbeth was first printed in the 1623 First Folio. The print date is the date of a surviving publication, not proof of when Shakespeare wrote the passage. An academic discussion also notes uncertainty about whether Macbeth’s use was in fact the first print appearance. Guinness World Records reports the conventional earliest-use attribution; it is secondary reporting, rather than the OED entry itself. Guinness World Records’ account of the earliest known use gives that attribution, while an academic discussion is available as “Assassination: A Brief Exegesis” and in a Dalhousie-hosted preprint.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What are the origins of “assassination”?
Assassination is built from assassin plus the noun-forming ending -ation. English assassin came through medieval European forms, including Old French and Italian, and is ultimately associated with Arabic ḥashīshī or related forms. The label was applied to the Nizari Ismaili community active in medieval Persia and Syria.
Rank #2
The familiar explanation that the Arabic-derived name meant “hashish users” needs qualification. Some accounts present that as a derogatory nickname or possible meaning, but the explanation is disputed; it should not be treated as settled proof that members of the community routinely used hashish before killing. The word’s linguistic route is traceable, while the nickname’s precise explanation and the associated story about drug use are less certain. See Wordorigins.org’s discussion of “hashish” and “assassin” and Scroll.in’s account of the word’s origins.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
