Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
nounAn agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.
Sentence Examples
We will never give in to terrorist demands.
The festive mood was slightly spoiled by terrorist bombs.
Terrorist groups claimed responsibility for the shootings and bomb attacks.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The police arrested the suspected ____ who planted the bomb.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The police arrested a suspected ____ who was allegedly planning to cause harm in a crowded area.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *tres-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti
Proto-Italic *trozeō
Latin terreō
Proto-Indo-European *-os
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *-ōs
Proto-Italic *-ōs
Latin -or
Latin terrorbor.
Old French terreur
Middle French terreurbor.
Middle English terrour
English terror
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Hellenic *-tās
Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs)
Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor.
Latin -istader.
Old French -istebor.
Middle English -ist
English -ist
English terrorist
From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Hooooly shit! That is terrible, because (1), he is not a terrorist, and (2), I do hope we have a better strategy for dealing with terrorists than flagging their credit reports and denying them their dream apartments! Hey, not in America! Not in America!"
— 2016 April 10, “Credit Reports”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 8, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
"2002 January 29, George Walker Bush, "2002 State of the Union Address".
States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."
—
"This controversy is quite similar to the red-tagging brouhaha exploded against me by Gabriela and its ilk in the CPP-NPA-NDF legal front. In a Facebook post, I had warned Liza Soberano of the deceptive tactics of the group in recruiting showbiz icons into the communist terrorist insurgency. I was very specific in that post, saying the advice is being issued by a father, a brother or an uncle not wanting to have his daughter, sister or niece led down the road to perdition. The seeming mouthpieces of the CPP hiding in Rappler, Inquirer and Philippine Star suddenly had a heyday slamming me for allegedly red tagging the actress as well as Miss Universe Catriona Gray."
— 2021, Antonio Parlade Jr., “To catch a commie and friends by their mouths”, in The Manila Times: