Encounter Meaning
/ɪnˈkaʊntə/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
verbTo confront (someone or something) face to face.
Sentence Examples
We encounter similar difficulties when we substitute rectangles for triangles in this configuration.
She gave me a humorous account of her encounter with him.
CEFR Practice Quiz
During a hike, people can unexpectedly ____ a rare bird species in the forest.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I did not expect to ____ an old friend at the market.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English encountren, from Anglo-Norman encountrer, Old French encontrer (“to confront”), from encontre (“against, counter to”), from Late Latin incontrā (“in front of”) itself from Latin in (“in”) + contrā (“against”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It fits Ioues ſonne / VVraſtle vvith Lyons, and to tugge vvith Beares, / Grapple vvith Dragons, and incounter VVhales."
— 1613, Thomas Heywood, The Silver Age, […], London: […] Nicholas Okes, and are to be sold by Beniamin Lightfoote […], →OCLC, Act III, signature G, recto:
"H' incounters Talgol, routs the Bear, / And takes the Fidler Prisoner; / Conveys him to enchanted Castle, / There shuts him fast in wooden Bastile."
— 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]. Canto II.”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678, →OCLC; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC, page 28:
"It ran derailed for about 500 yards before encountering a set of points, which caused it to veer into the path of an Immingham-Ferrybridge coal train, powered by Freightliner 66521 (one of a class of locomotive well-known for being well-built enough to destroy anything that got in its way)."
— 2021 February 24, Greg Morse, “Great Heck: a tragic chain of events”, in RAIL, number 925, page 39:
"[…] yet when the brother and the sister had encountered, according to the set appointment, none of these impassionedments had been repeated."
— 1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:
"Techelles, and the reſt prepare your ſwordes:
I meane to incounter with that Baiazeth."
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
During a hike, people can unexpectedly ____ a rare bird species in the forest.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
I did not expect to ____ an old friend at the market.