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
Time
: 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
Joe KleinThere 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
Gary J. LaughlinExamples of terrorist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebBrendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 May 2024
Muslim students and those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause reported being called terrorists, having their kaffiyehs ripped off and even being threatened with rape, according to the survey.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorist 
Noun
President Joe Biden’s administration believes more civilians have been killed in Gaza than Hamas terrorists.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 13 May 2024
Muslim students and those who sympathize with the Palestinian cause reported being called terrorists, having their kaffiyehs ripped off and even being threatened with rape, according to the survey.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrorist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
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