Terrorist
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/
Origin
From French terroriste; synchronically terror + -ist. First used by Edmund Burke.
Full definition of terrorist
Noun
terrorist
(plural terrorists)- A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
- An agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.
Hyponyms
Usage notes
The use of the label "terrorist" is often controversial or subjective, since one person's terrorist may be another's "freedom fighter", and vice versa depending on somebody's personal ideology of beliefs.
A cynical definition may be that a terrorist is someone who murders or terrorizes more of those for whom the terrorist is fighting, than his supposed enemies.