terrorist

1 of 2

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

2 of 2

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

When Davidson was 7 years old, his dad, Scott Matthew Davidson, an NYC firefighter, died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 9 Dec. 2025

No serious legal expert would doubt that the president has authority to blow narco terrorists out of the water, who are poisoning a hundred thousand Americans every year. —ABC News, 7 Dec. 2025

Adjective

However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged his agency is still investigating these claims, and federal prosecutors have not charged any defendants in recent Minnesota fraud cases with providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

Despite the tentative agreement, both Israel and Hamas have clashed in recent weeks as the terrorist group refuses to disarm. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing terrorist

• anti-terrorist