stochastic terrorism

American  

[stuh-kas-tik ter-uh-riz-uhm] / stəˈkæs tɪk ˈtɛr əˌrɪz əm /

noun

1. the public demonization of a person or group resulting in the incitement of a violent act, which is statistically probable but whose specifics cannot be predicted.

   The lone-wolf attack was apparently influenced by the rhetoric of stochastic terrorism.

---

Etymology

Origin of stochastic terrorism

First recorded in 2010–15

Example Sentences

As you’ve probably heard by now, this all-too-familiar tactic is called “stochastic terrorism,” a term often deployed over the past few years by Salon's Chauncey DeVega, among others:

From Salon

Yet while his increasingly unhinged rants and efforts to incite violence likely won't lead to significant protests among his followers — there was little reaction to his latest demand to "Take our country back!" — it will exacerbate the potential for more stochastic terrorism.

From Salon

The rhetoric of stochastic terrorism continues to grow and get more extreme as the various court cases around him head towards their conclusions.

From Salon

At its core, stochastic terrorism exploits one of our strongest and most complicated emotions: disgust.

From Scientific American

Stochastic terrorism is defined as violence committed by an attacker who, though acting on personal volition, is inspired by language demonizing the target.

From New York Times