terrorist

American  

[ter-er-ist] / ˈtɛr ər ɪst /

noun

• terrorists
  plural

1. a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.

2. a person who terrorizes or frightens others.

3. (formerly) a member of a political group in Russia aiming at the demoralization of the government by terror.

4. an agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of terrorism or terrorists.

   terrorist tactics.

terrorist British  

/ ˈtɛrərɪst /

noun

1. 1. a person who employs terror or terrorism, esp as a political weapon

   2. ( as modifier )

      terrorist tactics

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• terroristic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• terrorists
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of terrorist

First recorded in 1785–95; terror + -ist; compare French terroriste

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Explanation

Someone who uses violence, mayhem, and destruction — or the threat of those things — to coerce people or countries into taking a certain action is a terrorist. A terrorist may be motivated by religious fervor, politics, or just plain old-fashioned greed. Terrorist has at its root the word "terror," which comes from the Latin word terrorem, meaning great fear. Great fear is exactly what terrorists hope to create so they can manipulate the situation to their benefit. The label terrorist is a subjective one. To the British, the American colonists who destroyed shiploads of tea in Boston Harbor in 1773 were terrorists. To colonists, they were patriots and heroes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

terrorist terrorists

The circumstances surrounding the release of “Toxicity” became even more surreal one week later, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the country and altered the way some listeners interpreted the album.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Questioned by Jesse Nicholls, representing the bereaved family, Dr Latham said Uddin "felt a sense of injustice" about being branded a terrorist.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

They haven’t turned up any links to any foreign power or major terrorist organization, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, efforts to address the safety of the flight deck have largely focused on threats from outside getting in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Also, each accused terrorist is considered an "enemy combatant" and denied some legal protection.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

"All of a sudden, you see on the news the five suspected terrorists have been released," the husband said.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

A British-born veteran of Vietnam, he concluded after the 1993 bombing that the terrorists would return, and he rigorously rehearsed evacuation plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Most of the blame for that lies at the feet of the 9/11 terrorists and those who supported and financed them.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

What the officials told the world to do was to come shop” and support lower Manhattan to show the terrorists that the city — and America — had resolve.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

“She’s using the transmitter we were supposed to find. I found it. Weeks ago. They said it was a network of terrorists, but it was just an old man and a girl.”

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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