counterterrorist

adjective

Intended to combat terrorism

UncommonScrabble 18

Meanings

adjectivecounterterrorist (not comparable)
  1. not comparableIntended to combat terrorism

    Henry Kissinger was there; so was Robert Komer, the CIA officer who ran the counterterrorist "pacification" program in 1967 and '68[…].

    1988 January 29, Michael Miner, “Art of Our Arrogance/Rethinking Vietnam”, in Chicago Reader
nouncounterterrorist (plural counterterrorists)

plural counterterrorists

  1. A person involved in counter-terrorism, who works against terrorists.
    1 more example

    Every new season of this Fox thriller is another twist of a kaleidoscope: the same pieces — terrorists; counterterrorists (and, almost inevitably, a mole); an innocent suburban family; and the president, his aides and his family — are tumbled together to form new patterns around the central figure of the special agent Jack Bauer.

    2007 January 12, Alessandra Stanley, “Bombers Strike, and America Is in Turmoil. It’s Just Another Day for Jack Bauer.”, in New York Times

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveintended to prevent terrorism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Latinterror
  13. Old Frenchterreur
  14. Middle Frenchterreur
  15. Middle Englishterrour
  16. Englishterror
  17. Englishterrorist
  18. Englishcounterterrorist

From counter- + terrorist.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French contreterroriste
  • contreterroristeintended to combat terrorism
German konterterroristisch
  • konterterroristischintended to combat terrorism
Polish antyterrorystyczny, antyterrorysta
  • antyterrorystycznyintended to combat terrorism
  • antyterrorystaTranslations
Russian контртеррористи́ческий
  • контртеррористи́ческий (kontrterroristíčeskij)intended to combat terrorism
Ukrainian контртерористи́чний, антитерористи́чний
  • контртерористи́чний (kontrterorystýčnyj)intended to combat terrorism
  • антитерористи́чний (antyterorystýčnyj)intended to combat terrorism
Cite this entry
APA

counterterrorist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterterrorist

MLA

“counterterrorist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterterrorist. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterterrorist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterterrorist.

Source: counterterrorist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.