Encounter Definition and Meaning
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Published on September 2, 2025
Encounter is a verb meaning to unexpectedly meet or come across someone or something. e.g., On my hike, I encountered a rare bird.
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Encounter Definitions
To confront or come into contact with.
Patients may encounter various emotions during recovery.
To meet someone unexpectedly.
She encountered her old friend at the mall.
To face or deal with a challenging situation.
The team encountered difficulties in implementing the new system.
To engage in combat or conflict with.
The army encountered the enemy at dawn.
A meeting, especially one that is unplanned, unexpected, or brief
A chance encounter in the park.
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A hostile or adversarial confrontation
A tense naval encounter.
To meet, especially unexpectedly; come upon
Encountered an old friend on the street.
To confront in battle or competition
Encountered last year's champion.
To experience or undergo
We have encountered numerous obstacles.
To meet, especially unexpectedly.
(transitive) To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
(transitive) To confront (someone or something) face to face.
(ambitransitive) To engage in conflict, as with an enemy.
Three armies encountered at Waterloo.
To execute someone extrajudicially.
A meeting, especially one that is unplanned or unexpected.
Their encounter was a matter of chance.
A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants.
(sports) A match between two opposing sides.
(Indian English) An extrajudicial killing or execution.
To come against face to face; to meet; to confront, either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth.
Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him.
I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you.
To meet face to face; to have a meeting; to meet, esp. as enemies; to engage in combat; to fight; as, three armies encountered at Waterloo.
I will encounter with Andronicus.
Perception and judgment, employed in the investigation of all truth, have in the first place to encounter with particulars.
A meeting face to face; a running against; a sudden or incidental meeting; an interview.
To shun the encounter of the vulgar crowd.
A meeting, with hostile purpose; hence, a combat; a battle; as, a bloody encounter.
As one for . . . fierce encounters fit
To join their dark encounter in mid-air
A minor short-term fight
A casual or unexpected convergence;
He still remembers their meeting in Paris
There was a brief encounter in the hallway
A casual meeting with a person of thing
A hostile disagreement face-to-face
Come together;
I'll probably see you at the meeting
How nice to see you again!
Come upon, as if by accident; meet with;
We find this idea in Plato
I happened upon the most wonderful bakery not very far from here
She chanced upon an interesting book in the bookstore the other day
Be beset by;
The project ran into numerous financial difficulties
Experience as a reaction;
My proposal met with much opposition
Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
Princeton plays Yale this weekend
Charlie likes to play Mary
To come across or stumble upon something.
They encountered several obstacles during the project.
To experience or be subjected to something.
Visitors to the desert often encounter extreme temperatures.
To be faced with or come up against.
You will encounter many choices in life.
To meet with or run into by chance.
On our trip, we encountered people from all over the world.
To find or discover, especially unexpectedly.
Astronomers encounter new celestial phenomena regularly.
To clash or conflict with.
His ideas often encounter resistance from traditionalists.
Encounter Snonyms
Come across
To meet or find by chance.
She comes across as very friendly.
Run into
To meet someone by chance.
I ran into my teacher at the grocery store.
Meet
To come into the presence or company of someone by chance.
We meet interesting people on our travels.
Stumble upon
To discover or encounter something by chance.
He stumbled upon a rare book at the flea market.
Engage with
To become involved with someone or something.
The author engages with complex themes in her work.
Face
To deal with something difficult or challenging.
We all face hardships at some point.
Find
To discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly.
I find pennies on the street often.
Confront
To meet someone face to face with hostile or argumentative intent.
He had to confront his fears.
Clash with
To come into conflict with.
Their policies clash with my personal beliefs.
Experience
To feel or be subjected to something.
She experienced great joy from helping others.
Encounter Idioms & Phrases
Chance encounter
An unexpected meeting.
The chance encounter with her favorite author made her day.
First encounter
The initial meeting or experience with someone or something.
Her first encounter with snow was magical.
Hostile encounter
A meeting characterized by conflict or opposition.
The debate turned into a hostile encounter.
Encounter of the third kind
A term from ufology describing the sighting of an alien.
The film depicted an encounter of the third kind.
Close encounter
A near or narrowly avoided meeting, often with something dangerous or unpleasant.
He had a close encounter with a bear in the woods.
Encounter Example Sentences
I hope to encounter new opportunities this year.
He didn't expect to encounter his ex-girlfriend at the party.
Students often encounter challenges while studying abroad.
Common Curiosities
What is a stressed syllable in encounter?
The stressed syllable in "encounter" is the second one: -coun-.
How many syllables are in encounter?
Encounter has three syllables.
How do we divide encounter into syllables?
Encounter is divided into syllables as en-coun-ter.
How is encounter used in a sentence?
Encounter is used to describe the act of meeting someone or something unexpectedly, e.g., We encountered a group of deer while walking in the forest.
What part of speech is encounter?
Encounter can be both a verb (to meet unexpectedly) and a noun (an unexpected meeting).
What is the root word of encounter?
The root word of "encounter" is the Old French "encontrer," which means to meet or confront.
What is the first form of encounter?
The first form of "encounter" is "encounter," as it is used in the present tense.
Why is it called encounter?
The term "encounter" comes from the Old French "encontrer," meaning "to meet, come across, or confront," which in turn is derived from the Latin roots "in-" (in, on) and "contra" (against), reflecting the idea of coming up against or meeting someone or something, often unexpectedly.
What is the verb form of encounter?
Encounter itself is a verb; it refers to the action of meeting or coming across.
What is the third form of encounter?
The third form of "encounter" is also "encountered," used as the past participle in perfect tenses.
What is the pronunciation of encounter?
Encounter is pronounced as /ɪnˈkaʊntər/ or /ɛnˈkaʊntər/.
What is the second form of encounter?
The second form of "encounter" is "encountered," which is the simple past tense.
What is another term for encounter?
Another term for "encounter" (as a verb) is "meet"; as a noun, it can be "meeting" or "confrontation," depending on the context.
Is the encounter term a metaphor?
"Encounter" can be used metaphorically to describe experiences or challenges faced in life.
Is the word “encounter” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
As a verb, "encounter" can have a direct object (e.g., "I encountered a problem"). As a noun, it can be a direct object (e.g., "I had an encounter").
Is encounter an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, "encounter" can be considered somewhat abstract, as it refers to an event or experience, not a physical object.
Is encounter a negative or positive word?
"Encounter" can be neutral, negative, or positive depending on its context and the nature of the meeting or event described.
Is the word encounter imperative?
When used as a verb, "encounter" can be in the imperative mood in specific contexts, though it's less common (e.g., "Encounter new experiences with an open mind").
Is the word encounter Gerund?
Yes, when "encounter" is used in its -ing form (encountering), it functions as a gerund.
Which determiner is used with encounter?
Determiners such as "an," "the," or possessive pronouns (e.g., "my," "our") can be used with "encounter" depending on the context.
What is the singular form of encounter?
The singular form is "encounter" when used as a noun.
Is encounter a noun or adjective?
Encounter is primarily a verb and a noun; it is not an adjective.
Is encounter a countable noun?
Yes, when used as a noun, "encounter" is countable (e.g., several encounters).
Which preposition is used with encounter?
Prepositions such as "with" (to encounter with someone) and "during" (to encounter during a trip) are commonly used with "encounter," depending on the sentence.
Is encounter an adverb?
No, "encounter" is not an adverb.
Is encounter a vowel or consonant?
The word "encounter" starts with a vowel sound.
Which vowel is used before encounter?
A vowel sound starts the word "encounter," so "an" is often used as the article before it in a sentence.
Which article is used with encounter?
The indefinite article "an" is used before "encounter" when it's singular and unspecified; "the" is used when referring to a specific encounter.
What is the plural form of encounter?
The plural form of "encounter" (noun) is "encounters."
What is the opposite of encounter?
The opposite of "encounter" might be "avoid" or "miss," depending on the context.
Is encounter a collective noun?
No, "encounter" is not a collective noun.
Which conjunction is used with encounter?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with "encounter," depending on the sentence structure.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
