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
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.
New Zealand banned military-style semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles months after the attack – the deadliest shooting ever in the country – and strengthened its counterterrorism laws. Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 That dynamic, which has afforded undue warmaking powers within an already increasingly powerful executive branch, is now being cited as a thin legal justification for expanding counterterrorism operations into the Caribbean. Alexander Langlois, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025 This includes prominent conservatives like Dan Bongino, who is now the Deputy Director of the FBI, and White House counterterrorism chief Sebastian Gorka. Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025 Since 2014, the United States has been the linchpin of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, an international counterterrorism group that has worked with local security forces to degrade ISIS. Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2025.

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