terrorist
Americannoun
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a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism.
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a person who terrorizes or frightens others.
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(formerly) a member of a political group in Russia aiming at the demoralization of the government by terror.
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an agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing terrorist
President Obama's Speech to the Nation about Terrorism
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American Naturalization Test, List 3
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Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A US State Department official alleged to AFP that the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organizations," therefore "making the traveler ineligible for admission to the United States."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
He shared an Overseas Press Club award for coverage of the eurozone’s debt crisis and a New York Press Club award for coverage of the Nov. 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
A statement said troop movements in the area require coordination with the IDF, and repeated that its forces "are operating against the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, not against the Lebanese Army".
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
Some digital investments seemed wild at the time, like when Diller stuck with his bid for Expedia after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks halted flights and damped travel demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Also, each accused terrorist is considered an "enemy combatant" and denied some legal protection.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
