encounter

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA ^(key): /ɪnˈkaʊntɚ/ or /ɪŋˈkaʊntɚ/
• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ɪnˈkaʊntə/ or /ɪŋˈkaʊntə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: coun‧ter

Noun

Singular encounter

Plural encounters

A violent encounter

1. (countable) An encounter is a meeting, usually one that you don't expect.
   • Synonym: meet

   I had a pleasant encounter yesterday: an old friend of mine visited me.

   My job was really the result of a chance encounter with an old friend, now my boss.

2. (countable) An encounter is when two people or groups meet to play a game or fight a battle.

   I hope there will be no encounter with other soldiers tomorrow.

   This is the fifth World Cup encounter between these two teams.

Related words

• close encounter

Verb

Plain form encounter

Third-person singular encounters

Past tense encountered

Past participle encountered

Present participle encountering

1. (transitive) If you encounter problems, difficulties, etc., you experience them.

   When he did encounter problems, he always knew how to fix them.

2. (transitive) If you encounter someone, you meet someone, usually unexpectedly.

   In the store I encountered my teacher.

3. (transitive) If you encounter someone, you meet them to play a game or fight a battle.

   At night the battle ship encountered enemy planes.