terrorist

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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

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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

Nijjar, ​a Canadian citizen, had campaigned for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of ​India, and had been designated a terrorist by New Delhi. — CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Kent pleaded guilty in November to one count of providing material support to terrorists, according to court records. — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026

Adjective

Before going to Patriot Front, Kieran Patrick Morris had attempted to join the Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi accelerationist group whose members have been accused of several murders and terrorist plots. — Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Paralyzed by whether the rights of a gun owner on the terrorist watch should outweigh the rights of a community to be safe from getting shot dead at a school or a church or a concert. — Max Taves, Mercury News, 3 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing terrorist

• anti-terrorist