# terrorist

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/ · frequency rank #3,987

## Definitions
1. A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
2. An agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.

## Etymology
From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette.

## Easily confused with
- **terrorize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terrorist-vs-terrorize)
- **terrorists** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terrorist-vs-terrorists)
- **terrorism** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terrorism-vs-terrorist)

## Common misspellings (12)
`etrrorist`, `terorist`, `terorrist`, `terroirst`, `terrorisst`, `terroristt`, `terrorits`, `terrorrist`, `terrorsit`, `terrroist`, `trerorist`, `tterrorist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/terrorist