terrorist

American  

[ter-er-ist] / ˈtɛr ər ɪst /

noun

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

• terroristic adjective

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

Relations between the U.S. and Pakistan spiraled following the discovery that Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, was living in a Pakistani town.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

France has banned a major gathering of Muslims in the northern Paris suburbs, saying it could be a terrorist target.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

But according to the Paris police department, in "an international and national context which is particularly tense" the gathering was "exposed to an important terrorist risk toward the Muslim community".

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The United States added Lebanon-based Hezbollah to its list of designated foreign terrorist organizations in 1997.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

“They’re probably going crazy overboard with security. I doubt Batavia is high on the terrorist target list.”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

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