encounter

/ɪnˈkaʊntər/ Neutral to formal

Say it: in-KOUN-ter

1. verb To meet someone or something unexpectedly or by chance.
While hiking in the woods, we encountered a deer on the trail.
2. verb To experience or be faced with something, especially a difficulty or problem.
The project encountered significant delays due to a lack of funding.
3. noun An unexpected or casual meeting.
I had a brief encounter with my former professor at the conference.
4. noun A confrontation or conflict, often between opposing forces.
The first encounter of the battle resulted in heavy casualties.

📖 Seen in the wild

They were surprised to encounter such strong resistance to their proposal.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ encounter in a sentence

The explorers encountered a tribe that had never before seen outsiders.
It was his first encounter with true poverty, and it changed his perspective.
In the final chapter, the hero has a dramatic encounter with the villain.
Our customer service team is trained to handle any issue a client might encounter.
Police reported a violent encounter between rival gangs late last night.
During the clinical trial, none of the participants encountered adverse side effects.
Their chance encounter on a train in Vienna blossomed into a lifelong romance.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

meet come across run into confront face experience stumble upon clash

meet · more general and often implies a planned event, whereas encounter is typically unplanned.

come across · more informal and emphasizes finding something or someone by chance.

run into · very informal and strongly suggests a chance meeting.

confront · implies facing a challenge or person directly and often with hostility.

Opposites: avoid, evade, dodge, shun, miss

🌱 Where it comes from

The word journeyed from Latin 'in contra' (against) into Old French as 'encontrer', meaning 'to meet' or 'to run up against'. This origin explains its dual sense of both a chance meeting and a confrontation, as the core idea is of two things coming 'against' each other, whether by accident or with hostility.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

brief encounterclose encounterencounter resistancefirst encounterencounter difficultieschance encounter

'Encounter' is a versatile word that sits comfortably between neutral and formal registers. It carries a stronger connotation than 'meet', often suggesting the meeting was unexpected, significant, or involved a challenge. Using 'encounter' for a simple, planned coffee date would sound odd; reserve it for situations with an element of surprise or difficulty.

💬 Quick answers

What does 'encounter' mean?

It primarily means to meet someone or something unexpectedly, or to experience or be faced with a challenge or problem.

What's the difference between 'encounter' and 'meet'?

'Meet' can be planned or by chance, while 'encounter' almost always implies an unplanned meeting. 'Encounter' is also frequently used for facing difficulties, which 'meet' is not.

Is 'encounter' a formal word?

It is generally considered neutral to formal. It is more formal than casual phrases like 'run into' but is perfectly suitable for both everyday writing and professional contexts.

Can you have a positive encounter?

Absolutely. While it is often used for problems or conflicts, you can have a positive encounter, such as a chance meeting with an old friend or encountering a beautiful work of art.

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