to come upon or meet with, especially unexpectedly: to encounter a new situation.
to meet with or contend against (difficulties, opposition, etc.): We encounter so many problems in our work.
to meet (a person, military force, etc.) in conflict: We will encounter the enemy at dawn.
verb (used without object)
to meet, especially unexpectedly or in conflict: We were angry when we encountered, but we parted with smiles.
noun
a meeting with a person or thing, especially a casual, unexpected, or brief meeting: Our running into each other was merely a chance encounter.
a meeting of persons or groups that are in conflict or opposition; combat; battle: Another such encounter and we may lose the war.
Psychology. a meeting of two or more people, as the members of an encounter group or a number of married couples (marriage encounter ), conducted to promote direct emotional confrontations among the participants, especially as a form of therapy (encounter therapy ).
Origin of encounter
1250–1300; Middle English encountren<Anglo-French enco(u)ntrer;Old French <Vulgar Latin *incontrāre, equivalent to in-in-1 + -contrāre, derivative of contrā against; see counter3
OTHER WORDS FROM encounter
en·coun·ter·er,nounpre·en·coun·ter,noun,verb (used with object)re·en·coun·ter,verb,nounun·en·coun·tered,adjective
A new opinion paper assesses one way in which we might be able to learn from our encounters with smallpox.
Wearing a mask could protect you from COVID-19 in more ways than you think|Kat Eschner|September 10, 2020|Popular Science
Walker’s deputy chief of staff at the time, Jang, said Potts told her just before the encounter that she was expecting to meet with Walker as well as Mallott.
The Woman Propositioned by Alaska’s Former Lieutenant Governor Tells Her Story for the First Time|by Kyle Hopkins and Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News|September 10, 2020|ProPublica
The most touching things were the encounters I would have … when a kid with so much on the line quietly comes out to you while shaking your hand, passes you a note, and you’re just thinking about what that kid might be up against.
Pete Buttigieg Says Dems Did Not Coordinate to Seal Biden’s Primary Win|Nick Fouriezos|September 9, 2020|Ozy
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, all Republicans, wore masks in encounters with the president in the last week.
Trump and his top aides have stopped wearing masks after a brief effort|Rachel Schallom|September 3, 2020|Fortune
Several police groups issued a statement ahead of the hearing saying the board would invite “members whose qualifications are inherently based on negative encounters with peace officers.”
Sacramento Report: Jones, COVID-19 and the Irony of Remote Voting|Sara Libby and Jesse Marx|August 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego
This is heartfelt music, and after a first encounter you will find yourself coming back for more.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Outside of that one encounter, however, Moses is pretty meek.
Christian Bale: One Man's Moses Is Another Man's Terrorist|Candida Moss, Joel Baden|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What if healthy sexuality was the framework that young adults used to process every sexual message that they encounter?
A Rallying Cry Against the Oversexualization of Our Youth|Darryl Roberts|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Often, the most common opportunity for police officers to encounter a sovereign citizen is during a traffic stop.
Sovereign Citizens Are America’s Top Cop-Killers|Caitlin Dickson|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the second planet, they encounter a marooned astronaut named Dr. Mann, and a fistfight ensues.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Breaks Down ‘Interstellar’: Black Holes, Time Dilations, and Massive Waves|Marlow Stern|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We encounter much difficulty in attempting to reduce these various facts to any rule or law.
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Darwin
What sadness and difficulty may not his noble and generous spirit have had to encounter!
Alida|Amelia Stratton Comfield
The man said nothing, and she looked up to encounter a steady gaze from eyes somewhat puzzled.
The Lighted Match|Charles Neville Buck
Already Galileo began to encounter vulgar indignation which accused him of impiety.
Gospel Philosophy|J. H. Ward
We felt that we should inevitably have to encounter considerable difficulties, and perhaps even fail to reach Eucla.
Explorations in Australia|John Forrest
British Dictionary definitions for encounter
encounter
/ (ɪnˈkaʊntə) /
verb
to come upon or meet casually or unexpectedly
to come into conflict with (an enemy, army, etc) in battle or contest
(tr)to be faced with; contend withhe encounters many obstacles in his work
noun
a meeting with a person or thing, esp when casual or unexpected
a hostile meeting; contest or conflict
Derived forms of encounter
encounterer, noun
Word Origin for encounter
C13: from Old French encontrer, from Vulgar Latin incontrāre (unattested), from Latin in- ² + contrā against, opposite