Assassinate, despatch, execute, murder, and slaughter are some synonyms for kill. Kill can also be used as a transitive verb, meaning to cause death: they killed the lion. Synonyms are words that mean the same thing: thus, assassinate means to kill someone who has been elected to represent others: he was assassinated while eating at a restaurant. Despatch means to send out quickly: a military commander may despatch troops to different battlefields. Execute means to put to death: the judge sentenced him to execute for his crime. Murder is the act of killing without justification: they murdered their parents for money. Slaughter is the act of killing in large numbers for sport or food: millions of animals are slaughtered for their meat each year. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Assasinate refers specifically to the act of killing a public official such as a president or prime minister, whereas murder includes all kinds of killings (even if they're not justified). Execute only applies to people who have been found guilty of a crime; it cannot be used to describe politicians who have been elected by their peers.