TERRORISM Definition & Meaning

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terrorism

[ ter-uh-riz-uhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the unlawful use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce a civilian population or government, with the goal of furthering political, social, or ideological objectives.
the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism.
a terrorist method of governing or of resisting a government.
intimidation or coercion by instilling fear:
For many children, terrorism at school is a fact of life, even with antibullying policies in place.

terrorism

/ ˈ��ɛ��əˌ��ɪ��ə�� /

noun

systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve some goal
the act of terrorizing
the state of being terrorized

terrorism

Acts of violence committed by groups that view themselves as victimized by some notable historical wrong. Although these groups have no formal connection with governments, they usually have the financial and moral backing of sympathetic governments. Typically, they stage unexpected attacks on civilian targets, including embassies and airliners, with the aim of sowing fear and confusion. Israel has been a frequent target of terrorism, but the United States has increasingly become its main target. ( See also September 11 attacks , Osama bin Laden , Hezbollah , and Basque region .)

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Usage Note

There is some consistency in the various definitions of terrorism adopted by U.S. government departments, agencies, and organizations, and by other Western democracies. It is generally agreed that terrorism, even against a very small segment of a civilian population, always involves a broader threat meant to instill fear in a larger community, thus requiring a response from the government. However, since September 11, 2001, the question of what actually constitutes a terrorist act has been the focus of emotionally and politically charged debates. Violent acts by white extremists have often been categorized as hate crimes, whereas similar acts by Muslims and Black people have been categorized as terrorism. The categorization often hinges on whether the perpetrators are tied to an organized group.

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Other �y��vlog Forms

��·�پ�·�ٱ��·��ǰ�·�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of terrorism¹

First recorded in 1785–95; terror + -ism

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

He says the protests are "street terrorism" and accuses the opposition of leading "a movement of violence".

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Why were some venues subject to such strict legal requirements about the likes of health and safety, food standards and other things, but not the fundamentals of protecting large gathering of people against terrorism?

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This will be done by mandating, for the first time, who is responsible for considering the risk from terrorism and how they would respond to a terrorist attack at certain premises and events.

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Unfortunately, there are many others, some of which are used to finance terrorism.

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Tesla vehicles have also been vandalised, and Trump has said his administration would charge people who deface Teslas with "domestic terrorism."

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