terrorist

1 of 2

noun

ter·​ror·​ist ˈter-ər-ist 

plural terrorists

: an advocate or practitioner of terrorism as a means of coercion

Opposition still runs high to the idea of releasing or bringing into U.S. prisons dozens of men widely considered dangerous terrorists even if many are not.

Less than three weeks before the Winter Olympics are set to begin in the Russian city of Sochi, police there have begun hunting for suspected terrorists allegedly plotting attacks.

—Time

terrorist

2 of 2

adjective

: or, relating to, or characteristic of terrorists or terrorism : practicing or involving violent acts of terror

a terrorist organization

The consequences of the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks of September 2001 will ramify for decades.

—Joe Klein

There is no margin for error when a real terrorist threat is present and the safety of the public, and the first responders, is in jeopardy.

—Gary J. Laughlin

Examples of terrorist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The result was innumerable civilian deaths, the radicalization of populations, the production of future terrorists, and a price tag of over $2 trillion. —Caleb Pomeroy, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2025

Authorities say the shooters had spent much of November in the Philippines, an area known as a hotbed for terrorists. —Mahsa Saeidi, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025

Adjective

The attack, which happened at Military Base 27 in the northern department of Cesar, was attributed to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian group designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department and the European Union. —Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025

The deadly terrorist attack at Bondi Beach can never be allowed to happen again. —Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing terrorist

• anti-terrorist