Meaning of encounter in English

  1. Pronunciation

    /ɪnˈkaʊn(t)ər/

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  1. 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. 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. 3. be beset by

    Examples

    • « The project ran into numerous financial difficulties »
  4. 4. experience as a reaction

    Examples

    • « My proposal met with much opposition »
  5. 5. contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle

    Examples

    • « Princeton plays Yale this weekend »
    • « Charlie likes to play Mary »

  6. Noun

    encounter

    Definitions

    1. a minor short-term fight
  7. 2. a casual or unexpected convergence

    Examples

    • « he still remembers their meeting in Paris »
    • « there was a brief encounter in the hallway »
  8. 3. a casual meeting with a person of thing
  9. 4. a hostile disagreement face-to-face