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

Yehuda Cohen, whose son, Nimrod Cohen, has been held hostage by Hamas terrorists since Oct. 7, 2023, pleads with President Trump to win the IDF soldier's freedom. —Fox News Staff, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

In the film, Davis plays the U.S. President, who becomes the number one target of terrorists who attack the diplomatic summit; Martin is her rebellious teenage daughter. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Case Trump Judge Rules That the AP Must Now Be Allowed Access to Oval Office Officials allege that Khalil's public role in the protests amounts to support for Hamas, which the U.S. government designates as a terrorist organization. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025

President Donald Trump has claimed victory at the Supreme Court in his campaign to deport Venezuelan migrants accused by the government of being part of a foreign terrorist organization. —Paul M. Collins Jr., The Conversation, 9 Apr. 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