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

An Austrian man who authorities said pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group pleaded guilty Tuesday to a foiled plot to attack one of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna. —Greg Norman-Diamond, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

Martinez was one of two people shot by immigration agents in Illinois this fall, prompting calls for investigations by local agencies as federal officials called the victims domestic terrorists. —Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Those previous bailouts were due to passengers being afraid to fly in the wake of terrorist attacks or during a pandemic, not because of high costs. —Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026

This is not a shift toward containment or political inclusion of a terrorist group. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing terrorist

• anti-terrorist