terrorist

1 of 2

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

2 of 2

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
For 15 months, the terrorists watched as Israel, a democratic nation subjected to atrocities by a brutal terror organization, was castigated in international courts and demonized in the court of public opinion. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 During Hamas’s terror invasion 467 days ago, the Bibas family, including mother Shiri, husband Yarden and their children, Ariel, 4, and 9-month-old baby Kfir, were taken by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Amelie Botbol, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
The terrorist group Hamas released three hostages from Gaza hours after a cease-fire deal with Israel took effect after a brief delay Sunday. Landon Mion, Fox News, 19 Jan. 2025 As an example, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared Mexican drug cartels or criminal organizations as terrorist organizations via executive order. Dan Debree, The Conversation, 17 Jan. 2025 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 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on terrorist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!