encounter
Americanverb (used with object)
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encounters,
present (3rd person singular)
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encountered,
past participle, past
-
encountering
present participle
-
to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly.
to encounter a new situation.
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to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.).
We encounter so many problems in our work.
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to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict.
We will encounter the enemy at dawn.
verb (used without object)
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encounters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encountered,
past participle, past
-
encountering
present participle
noun
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encounters
plural
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a meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting.
Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.
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a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle.
Another such encounter and we may lose the war.
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Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples marriage encounter, conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, especially as a form of therapy encountertherapy.
verb
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to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly
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to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest
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(tr) to be faced with; contend with
he encounters many obstacles in his work
noun
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a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected
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a hostile meeting; contest or conflict
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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encountersimple
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encounterssimple
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have encounteredperfect
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has encounteredperfect
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am encounteringprogressive
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are encounteringprogressive
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is encounteringprogressive
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have been encounteringperfect progressive
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has been encounteringperfect progressive
Past
-
encounteredsimple
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had encounteredperfect
-
was encounteringprogressive
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were encounteringprogressive
-
had been encounteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encounter
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French enco(u)ntrer, from Vulgar Latin incontrāre (unrecorded), equivalent to in- in- 1 + -contrāre, verb suffix derived from contrā “against”; see counter 3
Explanation
If you run into that cute guy (or girl) from the local deli when you’re at the grocery store and you stop to chat, you’ve just had an encounter, which is a casual meeting, often resulting by chance. When you encounter the word encounter, context will tell you if it’s acting as a verb or a noun. The sentence “When Spencer and Susanna encounter a bear on the trail, they stand very still” illustrates the verb form. “The encounter in the subway left her wishing she had stayed at home” shows the noun form. Whether acting as a verb or a noun, the word carries the connotation of “chance meeting." You don’t plan an encounter; it just happens.
Vocabulary lists containing encounter
Against All Odds: Contra and Counter
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"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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Much Ado About Nothing
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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.
See Examples For:
Astronomers around the world observed the extreme encounter, and the event was presented at the AAS conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
“With schools who don’t typically have mobile quarterbacks, I always encounter, ‘I have to see the person,’” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Ben Chen, 63, fondly recalls an encounter with mainland-Chinese classmates in Alaska in the late 1980s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Most of the time, even if an encounter begins because of obligation, it quickly becomes enjoyable and we move beyond it.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
“We’ve survived our first encounter in the Eloko.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
For travelers, it can unlock wildlife encounters that may not be possible with a putt-putting engine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Set in Hawaii, “Ghost Market” will follow a young content creator named Kyle who encounters hungry ghosts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
"Everyone's had those relationships and encounters," she added.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
It can attach to the first molecule it encounters, even if that molecule would not normally be the preferred electron recipient based on its ability to stabilize the added electron.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
During his voyage around the world, his encounters with natives had been startling and enlightening.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
A kayaker was bitten by a hammerhead that year, too, and people fishing off Sunset Beach encountered a 10-foot hammerhead, according to news accounts at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
The deep snows encountered 20 years ago are becoming rarer and Greater Prespa Lake is shrinking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
It was on this second outing that the teens encountered Byrd and Roberts.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
Kusman was hired as a labourer on the Cavustepe excavations after his military service in the 1960s and there encountered his first stele.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
In Maryland a month later, Booth again encountered Mudd at church.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
The researchers believe ruptoblasts intensify their normal secretion systems so they can release toxic substances suddenly and violently after encountering activin.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
In Kate Christensen’s novel, a writer re-evaluates her life after encountering old acquaintances at her alma mater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
According to the lawsuit, Walker began filming immigration agents in late March, after encountering a woman being detained in the San Francisco airport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
However, she said about 90% of the people the charity speaks to report encountering harmful content online.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
They wander through a tent full of mist, encountering creatures made out of paper.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
