encounter
pronunciation
How to pronounce encounter in British English:
UK [ɪnˈkaʊntə(r)]
How to pronounce encounter in American English:
US [ɪnˈkaʊntər]
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- Noun:
- a minor short-term fight
- a casual or unexpected convergence
- a casual meeting with a person of thing
- a hostile disagreement face-to-face
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- Verb:
- come together
- come upon, as if by accident; meet with
- be beset by
- experience as a reaction
- contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
Word Origin
- encounter (n.)
- c. 1300, "meeting of adversaries, confrontation," from Old French encontre "meeting; fight; opportunity" (12c.), noun use of preposition/adverb encontre "against, counter to" from Late Latin incontra "in front of," from Latin in- "in" (see in- (2)) + contra "against" (see contra). Modern use of the word in psychology is from 1967, from the work of U.S. psychologist Carl Rogers (1902-1987). Encounter group attested from 1967.
- encounter (v.)
- c. 1300, "to meet as an adversary," from Old French encontrer "meet, come across; confront, fight, oppose," from encontre (see encounter (n.)). Weakened sense of "meet casually or unexpectedly" first recorded in English early 16c. Related: Encountered; encountering.
Example
- 1. You no longer encounter many bears of london property .
- 2. In their brief encounter , she had guessed .
- 3. Imagine what we 'd glean from that encounter .
- 4. The second encounter relates to my grandfather 's treasure box .
- 5. Unless the euro zone 's leaders shape up , this is an encounter their currency may well lose .