en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇n-tər 
en-
encountered; encountering
in-ˈkau̇n-t(ə-)riŋ
en-
1
a
: to meet as an adversary or enemy
b
: to engage in conflict with
2
: to come upon face-to-face
3
: to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly
encounter difficulties
: to meet especially by chance
1
: a meeting between hostile factions or persons : a sudden often violent clash
an encounter between the police and demonstrators
2
a
: a chance meeting
an accidental encounter
b
: a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person
a romantic encounter
3
: a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body
the Martian encounter of a spacecraft
Examples of encounter in a Sentence
Verb
We encountered problems early in the project.
The pilot told us that we might encounter turbulence during the flight.
Her suggestion has encountered a lot of opposition.
Noun
a chance encounter with a famous writer
The tour boat had a close encounter with a breeching humpback whale.
There was a violent encounter between fans of the opposing teams.
It was her first encounter with cigarettes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
That was the first thing that came to my mind: A woman who disguises herself as a man, encounters a man who disguises himself as a woman.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 July 2025
Gary Graff, Billboard, 11 July 2025
The actor, who starred in 85 episodes of the mogul's BET series The Oval, reflected on his time working with Perry in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, detailing the alleged encounters that led him to file the $260 million lawsuit.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
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.
Verb
Foot traffic is the point: business travelers, families, and curious locals encounter art without intimidation.
—Byron Armstrong, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
That was the first thing that came to my mind: A woman who disguises herself as a man, encounters a man who disguises himself as a woman.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 10 July 2025
Noun
Hynde at the time, had a more pleasant encounter, however.
—Gary Graff, Billboard, 11 July 2025
The actor, who starred in 85 episodes of the mogul's BET series The Oval, reflected on his time working with Perry in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, detailing the alleged encounters that led him to file the $260 million lawsuit.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encounter. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encounter
1 of 2 verb
en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇nt-ər
encountered; encountering
-ˈkau̇nt-ə-riŋ
-ˈkau̇n-triŋ
1
: to engage in a struggle with as an enemy or rival
2
: to come upon face-to-face : meet
3
: to come upon unexpectedly
encountered problems
encounter
2 of 2 noun1
: a clash between enemies or rivals
also
: a very unfriendly meeting
had an encounter with the boss
2
a
: a chance meeting
b
: a meeting face-to-face
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share