terrorist

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noun

ter·​ror·​ist ˈter-ər-ist How to pronounce terrorist (audio)
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
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.
Noun
He was taken away by Hamas terrorists from their kibbutz home. Greg Palkot, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Two years have passed since Hamas terrorists murdered 1,195 people and took 251 more as hostages. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
In September, the administration declared antifa a terrorist organization and so the Wednesday roundtable was meant to show how seriously the White House is taking this apparent terrorist threat. Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025 The obliteration of both Iran’s nuclear facilities and the foreign terrorist cartels traversing the Gulf of America are clear evidence of the president's success. Brian Mast, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terrorist

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrorist was in 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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