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

Questioned by Jesse Nicholls, representing the bereaved family, Dr Latham said Uddin "felt a sense of injustice" about being branded a terrorist.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The operation would continue, he said, “until the country is liberated from the control of terrorist militias.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

They haven’t turned up any links to any foreign power or major terrorist organization, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Opher Dubrovsky, who works in tech at Amazon.com, said some passengers worried that crew members might have been involved in what they suspected was a terrorist attack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Kennedy saw the Klan as the terrorist arm of the white establishment itself.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

"All of a sudden, you see on the news the five suspected terrorists have been released," the husband said.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

A British-born veteran of Vietnam, he concluded after the 1993 bombing that the terrorists would return, and he rigorously rehearsed evacuation plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Most of the blame for that lies at the feet of the 9/11 terrorists and those who supported and financed them.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

What the officials told the world to do was to come shop” and support lower Manhattan to show the terrorists that the city — and America — had resolve.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Shouldn’t I know terrorists flew planes into the towers?

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Related Words

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