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
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
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
Food and fuel are two of the most frequent ways that consumers encounter inflation, and those prices can fluctuate wildly on a month-by-month basis.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Kelli Bender, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Furman’s brother, Jason, is a Harvard University economist who has had his own encounter with the current campus climate.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 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
Charlie has an extraordinary ability to know without fail when someone is lying, and now for this season, Charlie continues her journey on the road across the country, encountering a new cast of characters and investigating crimes along the way.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025
Food and fuel are two of the most frequent ways that consumers encounter inflation, and those prices can fluctuate wildly on a month-by-month basis.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
The snake catcher filming the encounter approaches the python with a large lump in its midsection.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Furman’s brother, Jason, is a Harvard University economist who has had his own encounter with the current campus climate.
—Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for encounter
Cite this Entry
“Encounter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encounter. Accessed 22 Mar. 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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