terrorist

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who uses or threatens violence against ordinary people to frighten a population and push a political or ideological aim.

   Grammar: Countable: a terrorist, two terrorists. It is a serious, loaded label, so news outlets often use it with care.

   Patterns

   • a suspected terrorist
   • a terrorist group

   Police arrested a suspected terrorist before the attack could happen.

   The government described the group as a terrorist organization.

   Airport security was tightened after the terrorist threat.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to terrorism, or carried out by people using terror as a political tool.

   Grammar: Used before a noun, as in a terrorist attack, in place of 'terrorism-related'.

   Patterns

   • a terrorist attack
   • terrorist activity

   The city held a memorial for victims of the terrorist attack.

   Investigators studied how the terrorist network raised money.

   Intelligence agencies track terrorist activity across borders.

Word forms

Common combinations

suspected terrorist

The suspected terrorist was held for questioning.

terrorist attack

The terrorist attack changed the country's security laws.

terrorist group

The terrorist group claimed responsibility.

terrorist threat

Officials raised the terrorist threat level.

lone terrorist

Investigators said the lone terrorist had acted without help.

Synonyms and how they differ

extremist

Extremist describes someone with very radical beliefs and does not by itself mean that the person uses violence, unlike terrorist.

militant

Militant is a more neutral and wider word for someone aggressively active in a cause, and it need not involve attacking civilians.

insurgent

Insurgent describes a fighter in an armed uprising against authority and usually implies targeting forces rather than spreading fear among civilians.

radical

Radical describes strong demand for change, which may be peaceful, so it is much milder than terrorist.

Opposites

Word family

terrorism noun

the use of violence and threats against civilians for political aims

terrorize verb

to fill people with great fear by threats or violence

terror noun

extreme fear

counterterrorism noun

actions taken to prevent or fight terrorism

Commonly confused: terrorist or terrorism?

Practice

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