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Meaning of encounter in English
Pronunciation
/ɪnˈkaʊn(t)ər/
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Verb
encounter
Etymology
Middle English (in the senses ‘meet as an adversary’ and ‘a meeting of adversaries’; formerly also as incounter): from Old French encontrer (verb), encontre (noun), based on Latin in-‘in’ + contra‘against’
Definitions
1.
come together
Examples
« I'll probably see you at the meeting »
« How nice to see you again! »
2.
come upon, as if by accident
Examples
« 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 »
3.
be beset by
Examples
« The project ran into numerous financial difficulties »
4.
experience as a reaction
Examples
« My proposal met with much opposition »
5.
contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle
Examples
« Princeton plays Yale this weekend »
« Charlie likes to play Mary »
Noun
encounter
Definitions
1.
a minor short-term fight
2.
a casual or unexpected convergence
Examples
« he still remembers their meeting in Paris »
« there was a brief encounter in the hallway »
3.
a casual meeting with a person of thing
4.
a hostile disagreement face-to-face