en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇n-tər 
en-
encountered; encountering
in-ˈkau̇n-t(ə-)riŋ
en-
1
a
: to meet as an adversary or enemy
b
: to engage in conflict with
2
: to come upon face-to-face
3
: to come upon or experience especially unexpectedly
encounter difficulties
: to meet especially by chance
1
: a meeting between hostile factions or persons : a sudden often violent clash
an encounter between the police and demonstrators
2
a
: a chance meeting
an accidental encounter
b
: a particular kind of meeting or experience with another person
a romantic encounter
3
: a coming into the vicinity of a celestial body
the Martian encounter of a spacecraft
Synonyms
Examples of encounter in a Sentence
Verb
We encountered problems early in the project.
The pilot told us that we might encounter turbulence during the flight.
Her suggestion has encountered a lot of opposition.
Noun
a chance encounter with a famous writer
The tour boat had a close encounter with a breeching humpback whale.
There was a violent encounter between fans of the opposing teams.
It was her first encounter with cigarettes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Davidson then introduces a bottle of dirt and rocks, which symbolizes the people the boy encounters daily—classmates, shop workers, strangers, family and friends.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
This case was not Russell’s first encounter with federal law enforcement.
—Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Several of the people Cunningham and her group encountered were young.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025
Davidson then introduces a bottle of dirt and rocks, which symbolizes the people the boy encounters daily—classmates, shop workers, strangers, family and friends.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
Swift, a vocal critic of Trump, publicly encouraged voters to oppose him in the 2020 election, raising the possibility of an awkward encounter if the two cross paths during the game.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
This case was not Russell’s first encounter with federal law enforcement.
—Racquel Bazos, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for encounter
Dictionary Entries Near encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encounter. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encounter
1 of 2 verb
en·coun·ter
in-ˈkau̇nt-ər
encountered; encountering
-ˈkau̇nt-ə-riŋ
-ˈkau̇n-triŋ
1
: to engage in a struggle with as an enemy or rival
2
: to come upon face-to-face : meet
3
: to come upon unexpectedly
encountered problems
encounter
2 of 2 noun1
: a clash between enemies or rivals
also
: a very unfriendly meeting
had an encounter with the boss
2
a
: a chance meeting
b
: a meeting face-to-face
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