terrorism
/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/ noun
Forms terrorisms
- noun (historical) The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.
- noun The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.
- noun (by extension) The use of intimidation or bullying tactics.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation. Jefferson.
- noun The practise of coercing governments to accede to political demands by committing violence on civilian targets; any similar use of violence to achieve goals.
Etymology [Cf. F. terrorisme.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “terrorism”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details