Gildor's got a gun

[FeRaL sHaDoW]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

All they could do was reduce him to a state in which he could never again threaten the peace of ME. They did so, and I think I can see that as an 'assassination' of sorts, when put into that perspective.

1. to kill suddenly or secretively, esp. a politically prominent person; murder premeditatedly and treacherously.
2. to destroy or harm treacherously and viciously: to assassinate a person's character.

I would say it still counts as an assassination coming under point two of harming the person’s character. Surely if you destroyed a large portion of someone it would have a heavy effect on their character. Since the ring held the best part of his power and that was taken away from him a heavy hit would be dealt to Sauron leaving him as no longer a huge threat. You do not need to kill someone for it to be an assassination just harming Sauron as they did by destroying the ring would come under an assassination.