English Explanatory Dictionary

terrorism

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.
  2. The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.
  3. The use of intimidation or bullying tactics.
  4. Deliberate misspelling of tourism.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/ en-us-terrorism.ogg

Word forms

terrorism terrorisms

Etymology

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 terreur French terreur Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)der. Latin -ismusbor. French -isme French terrorisme English terrorism From French terrorisme, from terreur + -isme. By surface analysis, 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.

Derived words

antiterrorism counter-terrorism cyber-terrorism cyber terrorism economic terrorism ecoterrorism eco-terrorism narcoterrorism nuclear terrorism stochastic terrorism sushi terrorism terrorist
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