ecoterrorism

E1C3O1T1E1R1R1O1R1I1S1M3

noun

Terrorism with an ecological motive, such as attacks against corporations perceived to be harming the natural environment.

Similar
ecological terrorismeco-warfareecological warfare
Scrabble 16

Meanings

nounecoterrorism (uncountable)

alternative eco-terrorism

  1. uncountableTerrorism with an ecological motive, such as attacks against corporations perceived to be harming the natural environment.

    He said that ecoterrorism by radical and violent groups only encourages fear […]

    2003, Jacqueline Vaughn Switzer, Environmental Activism: A Reference Handbook
    3 more examples

    On either view and at least in principle, ecoterrorism will be the worst possible policy […]

    1998, Albert Weale, Michael Nentwich, Political Theory and the European Union

    Hours later, Ms. Bari, whose pelvis was crushed by the blast, and Mr. Cherney, who was slightly wounded, were arrested by the Oakland police and the F.B.I., which said the bomb had accidentally detonated while the pair were transporting it to use for ecoterrorism.

    2002 June 12, Evelyn Nieves, “Environmentalists Win Bombing Lawsuit”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    The message on the sheet was signed with the letters “E.L.F.,” the infamous initials of the Earth Liberation Front, a loosely organized group that has been linked to multiple bold acts of ecoterrorism across the Northwest and elsewhere for two decades.

    2008 March 4, William Yardley, “Ecoterrorism Suspected in House Fires in Seattle Suburb”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

Synonyms & antonyms

nounviolence carried out to further the political or social objectives of the environmentalists

Similar
ecological terrorismeco-warfareecological warfare
Broader
terrorismact of terrorismterrorist act

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*weyḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*wóyḱos
  3. Proto-Hellenic*wóikos
  4. Ancient Greekϝοῖκος (woîkos)
  5. Ancient Greekοἶκος (oîkos)
  6. Latinoeco-
  7. Frenchéco-
  8. Englisheco-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*tres-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*troséyeti
  11. Proto-Italic*troseō
  12. Latinterreō
  13. Latinterror
  14. Old Frenchterreur
  15. Middle Frenchterreur
  16. Frenchterreur
  17. Frenchterrorisme
  18. Englishterrorism
  19. Englishecoterrorism

From eco- + terrorism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 生態恐怖主義 /生态恐怖主义
  • 生態恐怖主義 /生态恐怖主义 (shēngtài kǒngbùzhǔyì)terrorism with an ecological motive
Dutch ecoterrorisme
  • ecoterrorismeterrorism with an ecological motive
Finnish ekoterrorismi
  • ekoterrorismiterrorism with an ecological motive
German Ökoterrorismus
  • Ökoterrorismusterrorism with an ecological motive
Hungarian ökoterrorizmus
  • ökoterrorizmusterrorism with an ecological motive
Polish ekoterroryzm
  • ekoterroryzmterrorism with an ecological motive
Portuguese ecoterrorismo
  • ecoterrorismoterrorism with an ecological motive
Russian экологи́ческий террори́зм, э́котерроризм
  • экологи́ческий террори́зм (ekologíčeskij terrorízm)terrorism with an ecological motive
  • э́котерроризм (ékoterrorizm)terrorism with an ecological motive
Cite this entry
APA

ecoterrorism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecoterrorism

MLA

“ecoterrorism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecoterrorism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ecoterrorism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ecoterrorism.

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