counterterrorism

noun

coun·​ter·​ter·​ror·​ism ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce counterterrorism (audio)
variants or counter-terrorism
: measures designed to combat or prevent terrorism
an expert in counterterrorism
often used before another noun
a local counterterrorism council
new counter-terrorism policies/measures

Examples of counterterrorism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has forged a new counterterrorism doctrine during his decade in power: Any terrorist attack emanating from Pakistan will face a scorching Indian-military response. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025 The investigation is led by an intelligence and security company called the Soufan Group, founded by former FBI counterterrorism officer Ali Soufan. Richard Engel, NBC news, 10 May 2025 Al-Araj was killed by the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Police’s counterterrorism unit in 2017. Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2025 Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff most associated with his immigration policies, is also influential on the foreign policy front, as is Sebastian Gorka, head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Laura Kelly, The Hill, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterterrorism

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterterrorism was in 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Counterterrorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterterrorism. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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