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
More than 360 people were killed and many more wounded when terrorists opened fire on the outdoor festival held in Re’im in southern Israel. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Dec. 2024 Since Syria’s conflict broke out in March 2011, the Syrian government has referred to opposition fighters as terrorists. Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
Earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared TdA a foreign terrorist organization and Texas Department of Public Safety began creating a database to identify TdA members, characterizations, and arrests. Bethany Blankley | The Center Square Contributor, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Dec. 2024 The group, which has origins in al-Qaida, is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 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 21 Dec. 2024.

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!