Terrorism
WordNet
noun
(1) The calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear
WiktionaryText
Etymology
The word first appears in English in 1795 in reference to the Jacobins of France, who ruled during the ‘Reign of Terror.’
Noun
- The deliberate commission of an act of violence to create an emotional response through the suffering of the victims in the furtherance of a political or social agenda.
- Violence against civilians to achieve military or political objectives.
- A psychological strategy of war for gaining political or religious ends by deliberately creating a climate of fear among the population of a state.