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 noun

a local counterterrorism council

new counter-terrorism policies/measures

Examples of counterterrorism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism commander Dominic Murphy wouldn’t say if the sighting was confirmed by surveillance cameras, but London has one of the most robust security camera networks in the world and any footage could have helped track his whereabouts. —Brian Melley, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023

Dominic Murphy, head of the London Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism command, told reporters. —Leo Sands, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023

Our intelligence and counterterrorism classes, for example, include practical training in professional tradecraft. —Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2023

And in Niger, long the centerpiece of France’s counterterrorism efforts in the restive Sahel, anti-French rhetoric abounds. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023

Niger has been the anchor for Western counterterrorism efforts across the turbulent Sahel region, with roughly 1,100 U.S. troops operating drones and training local forces to fight Islamist extremists. —Courtney Kube, NBC News, 30 July 2023

But the junta has severed military ties with France, and the recent events have highlighted the failure of France’s counterterrorism partnerships, observers say. —Elian Peltier, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023

The police said in a statement that five people, three men and two women, were arrested under the Official Secrets Act by counterterrorism detectives in February. —Karla Adam, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023

Mayor Brandon Johnson has selected Larry Snelling, the Chicago Police Department’s chief of the bureau of counterterrorism and a longtime instructor at the training academy, to serve as the next permanent superintendent. —Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above