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”; counter ³

Example Sentences

"We want England fans flooding across the Channel to Paris to watch the team in a massive encounter in the final round with the opportunity to achieve what we want."

From Barron's

Finley said the public setting creates an unusually direct encounter as he, like many of his fellow artists, will be standing with his work.

From Los Angeles Times

All are common involuntary responses for an autistic person in a stressful situation, which a sudden encounter with law enforcement almost invariably is.

From Los Angeles Times

Isabel Rose, from Hackney in east London, went to Hong Kong police in early 2024 after meeting a man she had previously encountered while travelling in Asia.

From BBC

The Mexican military also prepared a squad of light, turboprop Beechcraft Texan aircraft that are low-cost and effective for counterinsurgency operations of the kind that they expected to encounter with Oseguera’s gunmen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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