en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇n-tər 
en-
encountered; encountering
in-ˈkau̇n-t(ə-)riŋ
en-
1
a
: to meet as an adversary or enemy
b
: to engage in conflict with
2
: to come upon face-to-face
3
: to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly
encounter difficulties
: to meet especially by chance
1
: a meeting between hostile factions or persons : a sudden often violent clash
an encounter between the police and demonstrators
2
a
: a chance meeting
an accidental encounter
b
: a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person
a romantic encounter
3
: a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body
the Martian encounter of a spacecraft
Examples of encounter in a Sentence
Verb
We encountered problems early in the project.
The pilot told us that we might encounter turbulence during the flight.
Her suggestion has encountered a lot of opposition.
Noun
a chance encounter with a famous writer
The tour boat had a close encounter with a breeching humpback whale.
There was a violent encounter between fans of the opposing teams.
It was her first encounter with cigarettes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ron Shevlin, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Should this come to pass, Issa would encounter a political sea change in yet another district in his 25-year congressional career.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Cruises to Antarctica vary widely depending on the season and the type of ship, but travelers can generally expect to find incredible encounters with whales, penguins, seals, and more wildlife, as well as have the chance to hike and perhaps even ski.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Meanwhile, consumers encounter inconsistent standards for data privacy, interoperability, and identity verification.
—Ron Shevlin, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Should this come to pass, Issa would encounter a political sea change in yet another district in his 25-year congressional career.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
This 50,000-acre private reserve offers a range of activities, from bloodhound tracking and giraffe encounters to kayaking alongside elephants organized by Ekorian’s Mugie Camp.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Cruises to Antarctica vary widely depending on the season and the type of ship, but travelers can generally expect to find incredible encounters with whales, penguins, seals, and more wildlife, as well as have the chance to hike and perhaps even ski.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encounter. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encounter
1 of 2 verb
en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇nt-ər
encountered; encountering
-ˈkau̇nt-ə-riŋ
-ˈkau̇n-triŋ
1
: to engage in a struggle with as an enemy or rival
2
: to come upon face-to-face : meet
3
: to come upon unexpectedly
encountered problems
encounter
2 of 2 noun1
: a clash between enemies or rivals
also
: a very unfriendly meeting
had an encounter with the boss
2
a
: a chance meeting
b
: a meeting face-to-face
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