noun
Meaning 1
A meeting, especially one that is unplanned or unexpected.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Their encounter was a matter of chance.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
encounter
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈkaʊntə/
-
Received-Pronunciation: /ɪŋˈkaʊntə/
-
General-American: /ɪnˈkaʊntɚ/
-
General-American: /ɪŋˈkaʊntɚ/
-
General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -aʊntə(ɹ)
-
CMU ARPABET: IH0 N K AW1 N T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
-
CMU ARPABET 2: IH0 N K AW1 N ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A hostile, often violent meeting; a confrontation, skirmish, or clash, as between combatants.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A match between two opposing sides.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A sexual encounter; sexual activity, especially unplanned or unexpected, between two people who have not already established a sexual relationship with each other. In many cases, it does not lead to a relationship, and thus is utterly transient. A sexual encounter can be consensual or non-consensual; in the latter case, it is known as sexual assault. A consensual sexual encounter that happens only once is commonly known as a one-night stand.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: lifestyle, sexuality
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
The period of a space mission during which it carries out its data-gathering objectives.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An extrajudicial killing or execution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cross paths
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To confront (someone or something) face to face.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
To meet one another.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 10
To engage in conflict, as with an enemy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- Three armies encountered at Waterloo.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 11
To kill or execute someone extrajudicially.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: India, euphemistic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
a casual meeting with a person or thing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: coming upon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: joining, connection, connexion
noun
Meaning 13
a minor short-term fight
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: brush, clash, skirmish
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fight, fighting, combat, scrap
Narrower terms: contretemps
noun
Meaning 14
a hostile disagreement face-to-face
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: confrontation, showdown, face-off
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: disagreement
noun
Meaning 15
a casual or unexpected convergence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he still remembers their meeting in Paris
- there was a brief encounter in the hallway
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meeting
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: convergence
Narrower terms: conjunction, alignment
verb
Meaning 16
contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Princeton plays Yale this weekend
- Charlie likes to play Mary
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meet, play, take on
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: confront, face, replay
verb
Meaning 17
come together
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- I'll probably see you at the meeting
- How nice to see you again!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meet, run into, run across, come across, see
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: intersect, cross
verb
Meaning 18
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- 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
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: find, happen, chance, bump
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 19
be beset by
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The project ran into numerous financial difficulties
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: run into
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
verb
Meaning 20
experience as a reaction
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- My proposal met with much opposition
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meet, receive
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: have, experience
History
Etymology
From Middle English encountren, from Anglo-Norman encountrer, Old French encontrer (“to confront”), from encontre (“against, counter to”), from Late Latin incontrā (“in front of”) itself from Latin in (“in”) + contrā (“against”).
Across languages
Translations
151 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: مُلَاقَاة (mulāqāh) — unplanned meeting
- Arabic: مُقَابَلَة (muqābala) — unplanned meeting
- Belarusian: сустрэ́ча (sustréča) — unplanned meeting
- Bulgarian: случа́йна сре́ща (slučájna sréšta) — unplanned meeting
- Bulgarian: сре́ща (sréšta) — unplanned meeting
- Catalan: trobada — unplanned meeting
- Chinese Mandarin: 遇見 /遇见 (yùjiàn) — unplanned meeting
- Chinese Mandarin: 偶遇 (ǒuyù) — unplanned meeting
- Czech: setkání — unplanned meeting
- Dutch: (ongeplande) f — unplanned meeting
- Dutch: treffen — unplanned meeting
- Esperanto: renkonto — unplanned meeting
- Estonian: kohtumine — unplanned meeting
- Finnish: kohtaaminen — unplanned meeting
- French: rencontre — unplanned meeting
- Galician: encontro — unplanned meeting
- German: Begegnung — unplanned meeting
- German: Treffen — unplanned meeting
- Greek: συνάντηση (synántisi) — unplanned meeting
- Greek: συναπάντημα (synapántima) — unplanned meeting
- Hebrew: הִקָּרוּת (hikkarút) — unplanned meeting
- Hungarian: találkozás — unplanned meeting
- Japanese: 出会い (deai) — unplanned meeting
- Korean: 만나기 (mannagi) — unplanned meeting
- Macedonian: средба (sredba) — unplanned meeting
- Polish: spotkanie — unplanned meeting
- Portuguese: encontro inesperado — unplanned meeting
- Russian: случа́йная встре́ча (slučájnaja vstréča) — unplanned meeting
- Russian: встре́ча (vstréča) — unplanned meeting
- Scottish Gaelic: coinneachadh — unplanned meeting
- Serbo-Croatian: су̀срет — unplanned meeting
- Serbo-Croatian: sùsret — unplanned meeting
- Slovak: stretnutie — unplanned meeting
- Slovene: srečanje — unplanned meeting
- Spanish: encontrón — unplanned meeting
- Spanish: encontronazo — unplanned meeting
- Spanish: topamiento — unplanned meeting
- Ukrainian: зу́стріч (zústrič) — unplanned meeting
- Yiddish: באַגעגעניש (bagegenish) — unplanned meeting
- Bulgarian: стълкнове́ние (stǎlknovénie) — hostile meeting
- Bulgarian: схва́тка (shvátka) — hostile meeting
- Catalan: encontre — hostile meeting
- Chinese Mandarin: 遭遇戰 /遭遇战 (zāoyùzhàn) — hostile meeting
- Dutch: botsing — hostile meeting
- Dutch: confrontatie — hostile meeting
- Dutch: treffen — hostile meeting
- Finnish: yhteenotto — hostile meeting
- Galician: contenda — hostile meeting
- Hindi: मुक़ाबला (muqāblā) — hostile meeting
- Hungarian: összecsapás — hostile meeting
- Old Irish: comrac — hostile meeting
- Portuguese: confronto — hostile meeting
- Russian: столкнове́ние (stolknovénije) — hostile meeting
- Russian: сты́чка (stýčka) — hostile meeting
- Russian: схва́тка (sxvátka) — hostile meeting
- Russian: бой (boj) — hostile meeting
- Slovak: stret — hostile meeting
- Arabic: صَادَفَ (ṣādafa) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Arabic: لَاقَى (lāqā) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Arabic: عَثَرَ (ʕaṯara) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Bulgarian: срещам случайно (sreštam slučajno) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Chinese Mandarin: 遇到 (yùdào) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Chinese Mandarin: 遇見 /遇见 (yùjiàn) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Czech: potkat — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Czech: objevit — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Czech: narazit na — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Dutch: ontmoeten — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Dutch: stuiten op — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Dutch: botsen op — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Dutch: treffen — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Esperanto: renkonti — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Finnish: kohdata — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- French: rencontrer — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Galician: encontrar — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Galician: atopar — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- German: treffen — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- German: begegnen — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐍉𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gamōtjan) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Greek: συναντώ (synantó) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Ancient Greek: ἀπαντάω (apantáō) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Hebrew: נִקְרָה (niqrá) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Hindi: सामना (sāmnā) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Hindi: भेंट (bhẽṭ) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Hungarian: összetalálkozik — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Hungarian: belebotlik — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Japanese: 出会う (deau) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Japanese: 遭遇する (sōgū suru) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Japanese: 遭う (au) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Javanese: pranggul — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Javanese: mrangguli — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Kabuverdianu: atxa — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Kabuverdianu: otxá — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Kashmiri: سَمکھُن (samkhun) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Korean: 만나다 (mannada) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Korean: 부닥치다 (budakchida) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Korean: 맞닥뜨리다 (matdaktteurida) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Latin: nanciscor — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Latin: invenio — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Middle English: aȝeinen — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Khiamniungan Naga: vāuhìe — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Khiamniungan Naga: vāu-īe — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Polish: spotkać — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Polish: spotykać — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Polish: napotkać — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Polish: napotykać — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Portuguese: encontrar — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Portuguese: deparar-se com — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Punjabi: ਟਕਰਾਉਣ (ṭakrāuṇa) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Punjabi: ٹکراوݨ (ṭkrāvṇ) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Romanian: a întâlni — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Russian: встре́тить (vstrétitʹ) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Russian: столкну́ться (stolknútʹsja) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Russian: встре́титься (vstrétitʹsja) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Russian: наткну́ться (natknútʹsja) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Russian: натолкну́ться (natolknútʹsja) — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Slovak: stretnúť — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Slovak: naraziť — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Slovak: natrafiť — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Lower Sorbian: zmakaś — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Spanish: encontrar — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Spanish: encontrarse — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Spanish: encontrarse / toparse con — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Spanish: enfrentarse a — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Swedish: stöta på — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Swedish: anträffa — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Swedish: möta — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Turkish: rastlamak — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Ottoman Turkish: راستلامق — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Vietnamese: bắt gặp — meet (someone) or find (something), especially unexpectedly
- Bulgarian: сблъсквам се (sblǎskvam se) — confront (someone or something)
- Dutch: ontmoeten — confront (someone or something)
- Dutch: oog in oog staan met — confront (someone or something)
- Esperanto: alfronti — confront (someone or something)
- Finnish: ottaa yhteen — confront (someone or something)
- Greek: αντιμετωπίζω (antimetopízo) — confront (someone or something)
- Khiamniungan Naga: thōngîe — confront (someone or something)
- Portuguese: confrontar — confront (someone or something)
- Portuguese: deparar-se com — confront (someone or something)
- Romanian: a întâlni — confront (someone or something)
- Russian: ната́лкиваться — confront (someone or something)
- Russian: столкну́ться — confront (someone or something)
- Bulgarian: излизам насреща на (izlizam nasrešta na) — engage in conflict
- Dutch: confronteren — engage in conflict
- Dutch: het hoofd bieden — engage in conflict
- Esperanto: kontraŭbatali — engage in conflict
- Greek: συμπλέκομαι (symplékomai) — engage in conflict
- Hindi: भिड़ंत (bhiṛant) — engage in conflict
- Hungarian: összetűzésbe keveredik — engage in conflict
- Portuguese: confrontar — engage in conflict
- Russian: ста́лкиваться (stálkivatʹsja) — engage in conflict
- Russian: име́ть столкнове́ние (imétʹ stolknovénije) — engage in conflict
Real reading context