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
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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
-
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:
New research from astrophysicists at Syracuse University suggests that a previously underappreciated property of the star could provide the answer: how rapidly it was spinning before its first close encounter with the black hole.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
While there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other items you could keep on hand, these seven are what I would consider most important for a variety of scenarios you may encounter.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
It is now 15 years since Anaïs's encounter with Nègre and seven years since she first spoke to police.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, in what would be their first encounter of Trump's second term.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
It can only be defined by the anecdote, the chance encounter or the sentence overheard.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Venezuelan psychologist Maria Eugenia Tovar defended the battles, arguing they "can lead to in-person encounters" for teens.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
The former late-night host’s new CNN series takes him on a road trip across the country, where he encounters only-in-America monster trucks, lowriders and haggis tacos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
It is unclear if the encounters are part of a social media trend, he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
For travelers, it can unlock wildlife encounters that may not be possible with a putt-putting engine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
But as is the way with these encounters, Thom could not forget what he had seen, and every night he yearned for Grace, his heart aching anew.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
Waters has encountered complete artifacts while working with shipwreck collections, where intact objects are more common.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
I encountered Chud’s footprint almost everywhere I went.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
The concept and design of her forthcoming restaurant were heavily inspired by places she has encountered in South Korea, where dessert restaurants are much more common.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
A kayaker was bitten by a hammerhead that year, too, and people fishing off Sunset Beach encountered a 10-foot hammerhead, according to news accounts at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
It was louder than anything she had ever encountered.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Plus, during the day she keeps encountering three decrepit older people walking in unison down her street.
From Los Angeles Times ● 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
However, Stein said there is no reason to worry about encountering one.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Hunters expanding southward through the Americas, encountering big animals that had never seen humans before, may have found those American animals easy to kill and may have exterminated them.
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.
