terrorist

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities

From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette.

He's a terrorist!" shouted Higgins. — Terminal Compromise, Winn Schwartau
The terrorist and the policeman both come from the same basket. — The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale, Joseph Conrad
At first, he hoped that this Buonapartist, this Jacobin, this terrorist, this Septembrist, would return. — Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

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