encounter
Americanverb (used with object)
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encounters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encountered,
past participle, past
-
encountering
present participle
-
to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly.
to encounter a new situation.
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to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.).
We encounter so many problems in our work.
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to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict.
We will encounter the enemy at dawn.
verb (used without object)
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encounters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encountered,
past participle, past
-
encountering
present participle
noun
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encounters
plural
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a meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting.
Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.
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a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle.
Another such encounter and we may lose the war.
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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.
verb
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to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly
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to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest
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(tr) to be faced with; contend with
he encounters many obstacles in his work
noun
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a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected
-
a hostile meeting; contest or conflict
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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encountersimple
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encounterssimple
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have encounteredperfect
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has encounteredperfect
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am encounteringprogressive
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are encounteringprogressive
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is encounteringprogressive
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have been encounteringperfect progressive
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has been encounteringperfect progressive
Past
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encounteredsimple
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had encounteredperfect
-
was encounteringprogressive
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were encounteringprogressive
-
had been encounteringperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing encounter
Against All Odds: Contra and Counter
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"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A stumbling block we’re likely to encounter sooner is the G in AGI, or artificial general intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
After the alleged encounter, Van Tassel began building the machine and hosting the Giant Rock Interplanetary Spacecraft Convention, where he gave other contactees a platform to speak about their experiences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
He also said these collaborations can introduce chefs to diners who might not otherwise encounter their restaurants.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
Walking through the savanna-woodland landscape of Boé National Park, Guinea-Bissau, you might encounter a tree covered in gnarled scars, with an accumulation of rocks surrounding its base.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
Regardless of the type of encounter, the basic music elements play a significant role in how children respond to music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
There have been nearly 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 260 resulted in death, according to a database of shark encounters with humans.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
It means Cameron remains unbeaten since her second fight with Katie Taylor in 2023, and with 23 victories in 24 professional encounters.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The amount of material stripped from a star during repeated encounters depends in part on the star's internal structure.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Green is good, but it’s better wildlife encounters that might eventually relegate diesel to travel’s endangered species list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
And the tales of other Indians’ encounters with the strangers were alike in the same way.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The Supreme Court has already encountered the policy.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
The research effort began more than twelve years ago, when scientists repeatedly encountered frogs that clearly appeared to represent species that had never been formally described.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Former Apple engineer Adrian Eves first encountered Cook there in 2017, when the CEO returned to host a talk about diversity and inclusion.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
She had told him about the landslide they encountered on the way the previous day.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Roosevelt and Rondon pose for a photo in front of a waterfall they encountered during their trip.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
Plus, during the day she keeps encountering three decrepit older people walking in unison down her street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
She says she finds herself encountering authorities more often in Hong Kong than in mainland China.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
As L3Harris is now encountering, looking past misconduct allegations at previous employers can backfire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
In reality, Leavitt is without a doubt the worst White House press secretary that I’ve ever had the displeasure of encountering since the day I first met Larry Speakes during the Reagan administration.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
A corresponding example within Eurasia involved the eastern limit of Fertile Crescent crops, which spread rapidly westward to the Atlantic Ocean and eastward to the Indus Valley without encountering a major barrier.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
