terrorist

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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

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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
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
President Donald Trump has framed his actions as efforts to root out noncitizens who support terrorists and banish members of notoriously violent gangs, but outside groups and lawyers have accused the president of acting illegally and sued. Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Mar. 2025 That document includes charges of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists; narco-terrorism conspiracy; racketeering conspiracy; and alien smuggling conspiracy. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Via executive order, Trump designated the gang a foreign terrorist organization and declared its foreign national members to be alien enemies of the United States acting at the behest of Venezuela’s regime. The Editors, National Review, 19 Mar. 2025 Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office designating the Sinaloa cartel a foreign terrorist organization. Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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