counterterrorism

noun

coun·​ter·​ter·​ror·​ism ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce counterterrorism (audio)
variants or counter-terrorism
: measures designed to combat or prevent terrorism
an expert in counterterrorism
often used before another noun
a local counterterrorism council
new counter-terrorism policies/measures

Examples of counterterrorism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Americans exported violence in the form of counterterrorism and police trainings to as many as eighty-five countries, from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia to Niger to the Philippines, as well as blueprints for dubious legal frameworks to justify their actions. Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026 Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the Metropolitan Police’s counterterrorism chief, said the attack has been officially classified as terrorism as investigators work to determine the motive and whether the Jewish community was deliberately targeted. Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Police said that counterterrorism officers were leading an investigation of that incident but it was not yet being treated as a terrorism incident. Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026 We're joined now by two counterterror experts, former Homeland Security official John Cohen and Javed Ali, the former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counterterrorism

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterterrorism was in 1864

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Cite this Entry

“Counterterrorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterterrorism. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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