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terrorism

UK/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/US/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/
nounB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #4,134 of 15,258leans written

Terrorism is the use of violence against civilians for political ends. Combat terrorism, an act of terrorism, terrorism laws.

There is no single agreed international definition, which has blocked treaties for decades, though the targeting of civilians to create fear is common to most of them. The word appeared in 1795 for the state terror of the French Revolution — it described a government first.

Definitions of terrorism

  1. 1nounterrorismThe use of violence against civilians for political ends.B2+

    “Airports tightened security after a wave of terrorism in several countries.”

terrorism is a use of violence.

Where it comes from

French terrorisme comes from terreur, from Latin terror. It first named the state terror of the French Revolution in 1795.

  1. French

    terrorisme

  2. English, today

    terrorism

From French terrorisme. From French terrorisme, from terreur + -isme. by surface analysis, en + terror + ism. The word first appears in English in 1795 in reference to the Jacobin radicals of France, who ruled during the Reign of Terror.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

terrorism in the wild

  • State terrorism is terrorism conducted by a state against its own citizens or another state's citizens.

    State terrorism

  • Historically, governments have been accused of using state terrorism in various settings.

    State terrorism

  • There are several different definitions of terrorism, without universal agreement on the precise meaning of the term.

    Terrorism

  • Eco-terrorism is an act of violence which is committed in support of environmental causes, against people or property.

    Eco-terrorism

  • State-sponsored terrorism is terrorist violence carried out with the active support of national governments provided to violent non-state actors.

    State-sponsored terrorism

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.