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

Each time, the case was closed because he wasn’t considered susceptible to becoming a terrorist. —Brian Melley, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Each time, the case was closed because he was not considered susceptible to becoming a terrorist. —ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Johnson will play Edith Blais and Colucci is Luca Tacchetto, two travel companions who were kidnapped and held captive by a terrorist group in Mali for 465 days, before a near-suicidal escape. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026

Calling them antisemitic or pro-terrorist shows intent to harm their reputation. —Mikayla Price, CBS News, 13 Apr. 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