terrorism — the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈterərɪzəm/
Example Sentences
- Airport security got so tight that even my grandmother's knitting needles were considered potential terrorism tools.
- The documentary explored the root causes of terrorism in the modern world.
- He joked that his cooking was so bad it could be classified as culinary terrorism.
terrorism
NOUN[/ˈterərɪzəm/]
the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims
Image coming soon
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from French 'terreur' (terror, fear) and emerged during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of state violence. It evolved to denote the use of fear and violence as a political tool, later generalizing to mean violent actions intended to intimidate populations for political or ideological purposes.
Breakdown
terror (fear, dread) + -ism (system, practice, or doctrine). The suffix -ism converts the noun 'terror' into an abstract concept denoting a systematic use of fear as a political or military strategy.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Airport security got so tight that even my grandmother's knitting needles were considered potential terrorism tools.”
“The documentary explored the root causes of terrorism in the modern world.”
“He joked that his cooking was so bad it could be classified as culinary terrorism.”
“The United Nations condemned all forms of terrorism regardless of motivation.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.