encounter Meaning & Definition
What Does Encounter Mean?
Encounter is a verb that means to meet as an adversary or enemy. It is also used to mean to engage in conflict with. As a noun, it means a meeting between hostile factions or persons.
Encounter: Key Facts
| Part of speech | verb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /in-ˈkau̇n-tər/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Synonyms | brush, see and play |
| Antonyms | avoid, dodge and duck |
| Plural | encounters |
| Verb forms | encounters, encountering, encountered |
Encounter Definition (Verb)
- to meet as an adversary or enemy
- to engage in conflict with
- to come upon face-to-face
- to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly
encounter difficulties
- to meet especially by chance
Encounter as a Noun
- a meeting between hostile factions or persons : a sudden often violent clash
an encounter between the police and demonstrators
- a chance meeting
an accidental encounter
- a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person
a romantic encounter
- a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body
the Martian encounter of a spacecraft
Synonyms of Encounter
Antonyms of Encounter
Encounter in a Sentence
Three armies encountered at Waterloo.
Their encounter was a matter of chance.
encounter difficulties
an encounter between the police and demonstrators
an accidental encounter
a romantic encounter
the Martian encounter of a spacecraft
quite unexpectedly encountered our next-door neighbor while vacationing in Europe
we encountered a host of unforeseen problems during the restoration of our 200-year-old house
the troops encountered bands of guerrilla fighters as they made their way across the desert
survived an encounter with the school bully at the local park
Word Forms & Grammar
en·coun·tered
en·coun·ter·ing
encounter
encountered
encountering
encounters
encounter (third-person singular simple present encounters, present participle encountering, simple past and past participle encountered)
encounter (plural encounters)
Words That Rhyme With Encounter
Origin of Encounter
Origin 1: Middle English encountren, from Anglo-French encuntrer, from Medieval Latin incontrare, from Late Latin incontra toward, from Latin in- + contra against counter
Origin 2: 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”).
First Known Use
14th centuryt
13th century
Encounter Pronunciation
You say encounter as /in-ˈkau̇n-tər/. It has 3 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (kau̇n).
Quick Answers About Encounter
Is encounter a verb or a noun?
Encounter is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for encounter?
Close synonyms of encounter are brush, see and play. See the full list of encounter synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of encounter?
The opposite of encounter can be expressed with words like avoid, dodge, duck and elude.
What is the plural of encounter?
The plural of encounter is encounters.
What is the past tense of encounter?
The past tense of encounter is encountered. The present participle is encountering.