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

Derived Forms

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

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

This article is adapted from “Seductive AI,” forthcoming Tuesday from Encounter Books.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

“They can still accuse anyone of anything they want to exclude them from this amnesty law,” said Martha Tineo, coordinator for Justice, Encounter and Pardon, a nonprofit working with families of Venezuelan prisoners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

He was also an early designer on Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure, brought music to Space Mountain and elevated a Los Angeles landmark: He led an interior refresh of the now-shuttered Encounter restaurant at LAX.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

There was no immediate link found between the Ardmore Encounter and Israel.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2023

They found that the Murray flowed into Encounter Bay, but thither they could not pass.

From A Book of Discovery The History of the World's Exploration, From the Earliest Times to the Finding of the South Pole by Synge, M. B. (Margaret Bertha)

Related Words

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