Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense encounters, present participle encountering, past tense, past participle encountered
1. verb
If you encounter problems or difficulties, you experience them.
Every day of our lives we encounter stresses of one kind or another. [VERB noun]
Thousands of customers have encountered problems. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: experience, meet, face, suffer More Synonyms of encounter
2. verb
If you encounter someone, you meet them, usually unexpectedly.
[formal]
Did you encounter anyone in the building? [VERB noun]
Renata wrote him that she had encountered her long-estranged father. [VERB noun]
3. countable noun
An encounterwith someone is a meeting with them, particularly one that is unexpected or significant.
...offering supporters the chance to win an encounter with the President in returnfor any size of donation. [+ with]
Synonyms: battle, fight, action, conflict More Synonyms of encounter
4. countable noun
An encounter is a particular type of experience.
...a sexual encounter.
She was not the only person to feel daunted by her encounter with the court. [+ with]
More Synonyms of encounter
encounter in British English
(ɪnˈkaʊntə)
verb
1.
to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly
2.
to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest
3. (transitive)
to be faced with; contend with
he encounters many obstacles in his work
noun
4.
a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected
5.
a hostile meeting; contest or conflict
Derived forms
encounterer (enˈcounterer)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French encontrer, from Vulgar Latin incontrāre (unattested), from Latin in-2 + contrā against, opposite
encounter in American English
(ɛnˈkaʊntər; ɪnˈkaʊntər)
verb transitive
1.
to meet unexpectedly; come upon
2.
to meet in conflict or battle
3.
to meet with; face (difficulties, trouble, etc.)
verb intransitive
4.
to meet accidentally or in opposition
noun
5.
a direct meeting, as in conflict or battle
6.
a meeting with another, esp. when unexpected or by chance
adjective
7.
designating or of a small group that meets for a kind of therapy in personal interrelationship, involving a release of inhibitions, an open exchange of intimate feelings, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈbattle
Word origin
ME encontren < OFr encontrer < encontre, against < VL *incontra < L in, in + contra, against
Examples of 'encounter' in a sentence
encounter
What stood out to you as an adult that wasn’t there when you first encountered them?
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
Your story Have you or a loved one encountered problems with continuing healthcare?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The first encounter resulted in smiles all round and pats on the back at Langley.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The moon of marriage brings proposals or a first encounter with the love of your life - and a matchmaking friend gets it so right.
The Sun (2016)
Then, finally, they encounter one another.
The Sun (2016)
He recorded their encounters, including one in which she apparently fought off a street gang single-handedly.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Rather fabulously, they had their first romantic encounter in the Tardis.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Saved dozens of comrades in two enemy encounters.
The Sun (2010)
Is it because in a group you encounter people much worse off than yourself?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Rough men meet in potentially hostile encounters.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But the real fun comes when you encounter other users.
The Sun (2016)
That stunning and unexpectedly powerful encounter left me almost dizzy.
Christianity Today (2000)
Sailing through them brings endless memorable encounters and experiences.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He allowed himself a smile at one encounter this week.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Rarely are these encounters reported to anyone.
Stanko, Elizabeth Everyday Violence (1990)
Who is the funniest person you have encountered in skiing?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
In between may lie a minefield of handover meetings and awkward encounters in the staff kitchen.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Such an encounter was unthinkable days ago.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She had looked forward with considerable uneasiness to her first encounter with her aunt.
Edith Wharton The House of Mirth (1905)
His first encounter with the enemy was an embarrassing business.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Further into the night we encountered a ragged group of wounded.
Aidan Hartley THE ZANZIBAR CHEST: A Memoir of Love and War (2003)
Another dilemma frequently encountered is the discovery that you are in two minds about giving up your behaviour.
French, Barbara Coping with Bulimia (1987)
It is an unexpectedly touching encounter.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The winners of these two encounters will contest the final from 7pm.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This colossal encounter could not come at a better time for Liverpool.
The Sun (2007)
Unexpected encounters with old friends could inspire some New Year resolutions for you.
The Sun (2015)
The threat comes as the Government encounters hostile reactions from public-sector unions.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
encounter
British English: encounter VERB
If you encounter problems or difficulties, you experience them.
Every day of our lives we encounter stresses of one kind or another.
American English: encounter
Brazilian Portuguese: deparar-se
Chinese: 遭遇
European Spanish: encontrarse con
French: rencontrer
German: treffen auf
Italian: incontrare
Japanese: >直面する問題・困難に
Korean: > 부닥치다어려움 등에
European Portuguese: deparar-se
Latin American Spanish: encontrarse con
British English: encounter NOUN
An encounter with someone is a meeting with them, particularly one that is unexpected or significant.
The author tells of a remarkable encounter with a group of young children.
American English: encounter
Brazilian Portuguese: encontro
Chinese: 遭遇
European Spanish: encuentro
French: rencontre
German: Begegnung
Italian: incontro
Japanese: 遭遇
Korean: 예상밖의 만남
European Portuguese: encontro
Latin American Spanish: encuentro
Chinese translation of 'encounter'
encounter
(ɪnˈkauntəʳ)
n(c)
(= meeting) 相遇 (xiāngyù) (次, cì)
(= experience) 遭遇 (zāoyù) (个(個), gè)
vt
(frm)[person]意外遇见(見) (yìwài yùjiàn)
[difficulty, problem]遭到 (zāodào)
1 (verb)
Definition
to be faced with
Every day we encounter stresses of one kind or another.
Synonyms
experience
couples who have experienced the trauma of divorce
meet
Never had she met such spite and pettiness.
face
She looked relaxed and calm as she faced the press.
suffer
The peace process has suffered a serious blow now.
have
He might be having a heart attack.
go through
sustain
Every aircraft in there has sustained some damage.
endure
He'd endured years of pain and sleepless nights because of arthritis.
undergo
New recruits have been undergoing training in recent weeks.
run into
live through
2 (verb)
Definition
to meet (someone) unexpectedly
Did you encounter anyone on your walk?
Synonyms
meet
He's the kindest person I've ever met.
confront
come across
run into (informal)
bump into (informal)
run across
come upon
chance upon
meet by chance
happen on or upon
3 (verb)
Definition
to meet (an opponent or enemy) in a competition or battle
They were about to cross the border and encounter Iraqi troops.
Synonyms
battle with
attack
fight
oppose
Mr Taylor was bitter towards those who had opposed him.
engage with
confront
She pushed her way through the mob and confronted him face to face.
combat
new government measures to combat crime
clash with
contend with
strive against
struggle with
grapple with
face off (slang)
do battle with
cross swords with
come into conflict with
meet head on
1 (noun)
Definition
a casual or unexpected meeting
an encounter with a remarkable man
Synonyms
meeting
Thirty-seven years after our first meeting I was back in her studio.
brush
A brush with illness encouraged her to live a healthier lifestyle.
confrontation
rendezvous
I had decided to keep my rendezvous with him.
chance meeting
2 (noun)
Definition
a game or battle
They were arrested after a chance encounter with security forces near the border.
Synonyms
battle
The battle lasted several years.
fight
They used to be allies in the fight against the old Communist regime.
action
Ten soldiers were wounded in action.
conflict
The National Security Council has met to discuss ways of preventing a military conflict.
clash
There are reports of clashes between militants and the security forces in the city.
dispute
contest
a bitter contest over who should control the state's future
set to (informal)
run-in (informal)
We had a run-in with the Tax people the other day.
combat
Over 16 million men died in combat during the war.
confrontation
This issue could lead to a military confrontation.
engagement
The constitution prevents them from military engagement on foreign soil.
collision
a collision between two strong personalities
skirmish
Border skirmishes are common.
head-to-head
face-off (slang)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of action
Definition
a minor battle
Ten soldiers were wounded in action.
Synonyms
battle,
war,
fight,
fighting,
conflict,
clash,
contest,
encounter,
combat,
engagement,
hostilities,
warfare,
fray,
skirmish,
sortie,
affray
in the sense of brush
Definition
a brief encounter, esp. an unfriendly one
A brush with illness encouraged her to live a healthier lifestyle.
Synonyms
encounter,
meeting,
confrontation,
rendezvous
in the sense of clash
Definition
a collision or conflict
There are reports of clashes between militants and the security forces in the city.