terrorist

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noun

ter·​ror·​ist ˈter-ər-ist How to pronounce terrorist (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
These insurance corporations and their executives have more blood on their hands than a thousand 9/11 terrorists. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024 Since 2018, the U.S. had designated Haniyeh as a terrorist, saying he was closely linked to Hamas’ military wing. Greg Norman, Fox News, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The shelf life of the PKK terrorist organization and its extensions has run out. Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 Among the groups in Syria, the U.S. considers al-Qaeda, Islamic State (formerly ISIS), Hezbollah, Al-Nusra front, Islamic Jihad, PKK as terrorist organizations. Ghassan E. El-Eid, Hartford Courant, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for terrorist 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrorist was in 1794

Dictionary Entries Near terrorist

Cite this Entry

“Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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