counterterrorism
noun
coun·ter·ter·ror·ism
ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm 
variants
or counter-terrorism
: measures designed to combat or prevent terrorism
an expert in counterterrorism
—often used before another nouna local counterterrorism council
new counter-terrorism policies/measures
Examples of counterterrorism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By the later years of the decade, West Germany's authorities developed a range of new tools, some of dubious legality, that dramatically increased their counterterrorism capabilities, and ranks of the militants began to thin.
—
Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Treasury accused the government of weaponizing anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing laws to target political opponents.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Seamus Hughes, an expert on counterterrorism and extremism at NCITE, said over the last year, there has been a dramatic shift in the volume of threats to law enforcement agents, who have increasingly become a target for people with grievances against the government.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE tasked with providing intelligence and monitoring human trafficking, cybercrime, and counterterrorism, often helps secure large sporting events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and the Super Bowl.
—Denny Alfonso, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterterrorism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Treasury accused the government of weaponizing anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing laws to target political opponents.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026
Seamus Hughes, an expert on counterterrorism and extremism at NCITE, said over the last year, there has been a dramatic shift in the volume of threats to law enforcement agents, who have increasingly become a target for people with grievances against the government.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE tasked with providing intelligence and monitoring human trafficking, cybercrime, and counterterrorism, often helps secure large sporting events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and the Super Bowl.
—Denny Alfonso, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterterrorism
Cite this Entry
“Counterterrorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterterrorism. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
