terrorist

The word “terrorist” means a person who uses violence and fear against civilians to pursue political or ideological goals. In plain terms, someone who deliberately targets or threatens ordinary people with violence to force political change.

“Terrorist” is pronounced TEH-ruh-rihst (/ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/ in IPA).

Here is “terrorist” used in a sentence: “The bombing was carried out by a group of terrorists.”

Depending on how it is used, “terrorist” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “terrorist” dates back to around 1790 and comes from French. From French terroriste, built from terror plus the agent-forming suffix -ist. The word first appeared in English in the 1790s to describe those behind the Reign of Terror in revolutionary France.

“Terrorist” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Terrorist” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who uses violence and fear against civilians to pursue political or ideological goals.

Both can describe someone using violence for a political cause, but the labels carry opposite judgments. "Terrorist" is a condemnatory term stressing violence and fear aimed at civilians, while "freedom fighter" frames the same person approvingly as fighting for liberation. Which term is used often reflects the speaker's own viewpoint.

"Terrorist" is the person who carries out such acts, or an adjective describing them. "Terrorism" is the noun for the practice itself — the use of violence and fear against civilians for political or ideological ends.

Yes. Beyond naming a person, "terrorist" works as an adjective meaning relating to terrorism, as in "a terrorist attack," "a terrorist group," or "terrorist activity."

"Militant" is a broader, more neutral term for someone who uses aggressive or confrontational methods for a cause and does not necessarily target civilians. "Terrorist" specifically implies violence and fear directed at civilians and carries a much stronger negative judgment.