encounter

American  

[en-koun-ter] / ɛnˈkaʊn tər /

verb (used with object)

1. to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly.

   to encounter a new situation.

2. to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.).

   We encounter so many problems in our work.

3. to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict.

   We will encounter the enemy at dawn.

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verb (used without object)

1. to meet, especially unexpectedly or in conflict.

   We were angry when we encountered, but we parted with smiles.

noun

1. a meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting.

   Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.

2. a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle.

   Another such encounter and we may lose the war.

3. Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples marriage encounter, conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, especially as a form of therapy encountertherapy.

encounter British  

/ ɪnˈkaʊntə /

verb

1. to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly

2. to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest

3. (tr) to be faced with; contend with

   he encounters many obstacles in his work

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noun

1. a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected

2. a hostile meeting; contest or conflict

Other Word Forms

• encounterer noun
• preencounter noun
• reencounter verb
• unencountered adjective

Etymology

Origin of encounter

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French enco(u)ntrer, from Vulgar Latin incontrāre (unrecorded), equivalent to in- in- ¹ + -contrāre, verb suffix derived from contrā “against”; see counter ³

Explanation

If you run into that cute guy (or girl) from the local deli when you’re at the grocery store and you stop to chat, you’ve just had an encounter, which is a casual meeting, often resulting by chance. When you encounter the word encounter, context will tell you if it’s acting as a verb or a noun. The sentence “When Spencer and Susanna encounter a bear on the trail, they stand very still” illustrates the verb form. “The encounter in the subway left her wishing she had stayed at home” shows the noun form. Whether acting as a verb or a noun, the word carries the connotation of “chance meeting." You don’t plan an encounter; it just happens.

Example Sentences

Gaethje defeated the Liverpudlian on points in a gruelling encounter in Las Vegas in which Pimblett never managed to build any momentum.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

This happens because fast-dividing cells encounter DNA damage more quickly than it can be repaired.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

But Frederick experienced an epiphany in 1734 after an inspirational encounter with Prince Eugene of Savoy, who had helped defeat the Ottoman Turks at Vienna in 1683 and the French at Blenheim in 1704.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

And a person’s exposure to the electromagnetic field, or EMF, from a solar farm is roughly the same as what they would encounter from ordinary household appliances, according to researchers.

From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026

I stood up, bracing myself for the encounter, and stepped from the familiar darkness of the hut into the greying night outside.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• bear
• bump into
• come across
• come upon
• confront
• detect
• experience
• face
• find
• meet
• run into
• suffer
• turn up