encounter
to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly: to encounter a new situation.
to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.): We encounter so many problems in our work.
to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict: We will encounter the enemy at dawn.
to meet, especially unexpectedly or in conflict: We were angry when we encountered, but we parted with smiles.
a meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting: Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.
a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle: Another such encounter and we may lose the war.
Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples (marriage encounter ), conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, especially as a form of therapy (encounter therapy ).
Origin of encounter
1Other words from encounter
- en·coun·ter·er, noun
- pre·en·coun·ter, noun, verb (used with object)
- re·en·coun·ter, verb, noun
- un·en·coun·tered, adjective
Words Nearby encounter
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use encounter in a sentence
A new opinion paper assesses one way in which we might be able to learn from our encounters with smallpox.
Wearing a mask could protect you from COVID-19 in more ways than you think | Kat Eschner | September 10, 2020 | Popular-ScienceWalker’s deputy chief of staff at the time, Jang, said Potts told her just before the encounter that she was expecting to meet with Walker as well as Mallott.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time | by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News | September 10, 2020 | ProPublicaThe most touching things were the encounters I would have … when a kid with so much on the line quietly comes out to you while shaking your hand, passes you a note, and you’re just thinking about what that kid might be up against.
Pete Buttigieg Says Dems Did Not Coordinate to Seal Biden’s Primary Win | Nick Fouriezos | September 9, 2020 | OzyTexas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, all Republicans, wore masks in encounters with the president in the last week.
Trump and his top aides have stopped wearing masks after a brief effort | Rachel Schallom | September 3, 2020 | FortuneSeveral police groups issued a statement ahead of the hearing saying the board would invite “members whose qualifications are inherently based on negative encounters with peace officers.”
Sacramento Report: Jones, COVID-19 and the Irony of Remote Voting | Sara Libby and Jesse Marx | August 28, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
Hatuey replied that he would rather burn and be sent to hell than ever again encounter people as cruel as the Spanish.
The Life and Hard Times Of The Family A Cuban Defector Left Behind | Brin-Jonathan Butler | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis is heartfelt music, and after a first encounter you will find yourself coming back for more.
Instead, she says other people she has shared the story with described the sexual encounter as rape.
Outside of that one encounter, however, Moses is pretty meek.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist | Candida Moss, Joel Baden | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhat if healthy sexuality was the framework that young adults used to process every sexual message that they encounter?
A Rallying Cry Against the Oversexualization of Our Youth | Darryl Roberts | November 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAll along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.If now we turn to the higher aspects of form, such as symmetry and proportion, we encounter a difficulty.
Children's Ways | James SullyDuring his mild régime the insurrection increased rapidly, and in one encounter he himself was very near falling a prisoner.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanFollowing the boys, Baptiste entered by the kitchen door to encounter the mother and three daughters preparing the meal.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxMonsieur Quérin saluted and declared himself enchanted at the encounter.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. Locke
British Dictionary definitions for encounter
/ (ɪnˈkaʊntə) /
to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly
to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest
(tr) to be faced with; contend with: he encounters many obstacles in his work
a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected
a hostile meeting; contest or conflict
Origin of encounter
1Derived forms of encounter
- encounterer, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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