terrorism

noun

ter·​ror·​ism ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce terrorism (audio)
: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion

Examples of terrorism in a Sentence

They have been arrested for acts of terrorism.
Recent Examples on the Web The Kremlin said Putin had held conversations with the leaders of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in which all sides affirmed their willingness to work together to fight terrorism. Guy Faulconbridge, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Senior Pentagon officials believe that keeping a presence in Niger is vital to efforts to tackle terrorism in the region. Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 This was the first school shooting where the perpetrator was convicted on terrorism charges. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 Though top Russian officials frequently point to Afghanistan under the Taliban as a growing node of terrorism, Moscow may be even more worried about the hypothetical military and intelligence foothold that stronger U.S.-Taliban ties might lead to. Asfandyar Mir, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2024 Its activities fit the definition of domestic terrorism, the FBI recently argued in court. Chris Dehghanpoor, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Babb teaches courses on terrorism and international security at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa. Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2024 The Middle East is plagued by problems: civil wars, dictatorships, terrorism, and deep anti-American sentiment, to name a few. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 Oliver is a lawyer Oliver is a practicing lawyer at Furnival Chambers in London with a focus on murder, terrorism, drug and fraud cases, per his bio on Leaders in Law’s website. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrorism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrorism was in 1795

Dictionary Entries Near terrorism

Cite this Entry

“Terrorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

terrorism

noun
ter·​ror·​ism ˈter-ər-ˌiz-əm How to pronounce terrorism (audio)
: the use of terror as a means of achieving a goal
terrorist adjective or noun

Legal Definition

terrorism

noun
ter·​ror·​ism ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce terrorism (audio)
1
: the unlawful use or threat of violence especially against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion
2
: violent and intimidating gang activity
street terrorism
terrorist adjective or noun
terroristic adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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