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

Etymology

Origin of terrorist

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

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

Years later, research would show that many terrorist attacks are neither claimed nor attributed.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Rehearsals for the original Broadway run coincided with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Holcenberg explained, and he was struck by audience members’ emotional responses to the first shows.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, company leaders including Peter Thiel realized their technology could help the government sniff out terrorists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

"I would indeed expect greater Colombian cooperation in supporting US actions against designated terrorist groups across the region, far beyond Colombia," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

They seemed less intent on finding out my views than on proving that I was a Communist and a terrorist.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

District Court for the Northern District of Texas were convicted of rioting and providing material support to terrorists, among other charges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Wells’ classic story was one of the first mainstream studio films to riff on America’s post-9/11 anxiety, where characters assumed the widespread panic was the work of terrorists.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

The expulsion of Artan after an 11-hour interrogation at Miami International Airport had come just hours earlier, accused by a US official of having links to terrorists in his homeland.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Without directly addressing the matter of those whose visas were refused, the official added: "We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences."

From Barron's ● Jun. 6, 2026

The terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our. ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: Weakness, fear, and hopelessness died.

From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai

Related Words

• assassin
• bomber
• fanatic
• guerrilla
• gunman
• hijacker
• insurgent
• radical
• rebel
• revolutionary
• sniper
• zealot