Terrorism
Violent assault on people or institutions intended to intimidate, silence, or destroy. By hate, ideology, or power. (see also Bully)
How We Say It
TER·uh·riz·um
Where It Comes From
French terrorisme. Coined during the French Revolution's Reign of Terror (1793–94) — originally describing state violence against citizens, not non-state violence against states. The meaning inverted over the 19th and 20th centuries.
How It's Been Used
No agreed legal definition exists internationally. The absence is not accidental — states resist defining terrorism in ways that might apply to their own actions. 'One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' became a cliché because it identifies a real problem: the word describes motive and legitimacy, not method.