terrorist

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noun

ter·​ror·​ist ˈter-ər-ist 

plural terrorists

: an advocate or practitioner of terrorism as a means of coercion

Opposition still runs high to the idea of releasing or bringing into U.S. prisons dozens of men widely considered dangerous terrorists even if many are not.

Less than three weeks before the Winter Olympics are set to begin in the Russian city of Sochi, police there have begun hunting for suspected terrorists allegedly plotting attacks.

—Time

terrorist

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adjective

: or, relating to, or characteristic of terrorists or terrorism : practicing or involving violent acts of terror

a terrorist organization

The consequences of the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks of September 2001 will ramify for decades.

—Joe Klein

There is no margin for error when a real terrorist threat is present and the safety of the public, and the first responders, is in jeopardy.

—Gary J. Laughlin

Examples of terrorist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

My daughter, Rose, was serving in Israel's Border Police when she was murdered by a terrorist in November 2023—just weeks after helping defend her kibbutz on Oct. 7. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025

Dozens of Israeli hostages are still being held captive by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. —David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025

Adjective

Via executive order, Trump designated the gang a foreign terrorist organization and declared its foreign national members to be alien enemies of the United States acting at the behest of Venezuela’s regime. —The Editors, National Review, 19 Mar. 2025

Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office designating the Sinaloa cartel a foreign terrorist organization. —Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing terrorist

• anti-terrorist