encounter
UK /ɪnˈkaʊntə/ · US /ɪnˈkaʊntɚ/ verb, noun
Forms encounters encountering encountered encountre incountre incounter
- verb (transitive) To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
- verb (transitive) To confront (someone or something) face to face.
- verb (intransitive, rare) To meet one another.
- verb (intransitive) To engage in conflict, as with an enemy. “Three armies encountered at Waterloo.”
- verb (transitive, euphemistic, India) To kill or execute someone extrajudicially.
- noun A meeting, especially one that is unplanned or unexpected. “Their encounter was a matter of chance.”
- noun A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants.
- noun (sports) A match between two opposing sides.
- noun (sexuality) A sexual encounter; sexual activity, especially unplanned or unexpected, between two people who have not already established a sexual relationship with each other. In many cases, it does not lead to a relationship, and thus is utterly transient. A sexual encounter can be consensual or non-consensual; in the latter case, it is known as sexual assault. A consensual sexual encounter that happens only once is commonly known as a one-night stand.
- noun (sciences) The period of a space mission during which it carries out its data-gathering objectives.
- noun (India) An extrajudicial killing or execution.
Synonyms
cross paths clash confrontation brush skirmish meeting coming upon showdown face-off meet run into run across come across see find happen chance bump receive play take on
Etymology
From Middle English encountren, from Anglo-Norman encountrer, Old French encontrer (“to confront”), from encontre (“against, counter to”), from Late Latin incontrā (“in front of”) itself from Latin in (“in”) + contrā (“against”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth.
- verb To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo.
- noun A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview.
- noun A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter.
Etymology [OF. encontrer; pref. en- (L. in) + contre against, L. contra. See Counter, adv.]
Etymology [OF. encontre, fr. encontrer. See Encounter, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “encounter”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details