Etymologically
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encounter

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 12:32. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɪnˈkaʊntə/, /ɪŋˈkaʊntə/ (UK); /ɪnˈkaʊntɚ/, /ɪŋˈkaʊntɚ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English encountren, borrowed from Old French encontrer (“to meet; to confront”), with the noun from encontre (“meeting; fight”),[2][3][4][5] the noun use of the preposition encontre, against, from Late Latin incontrā (“in front of”), from in (“in”) and contrā (“against”) (see contra and counter).[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A meeting of adversaries, a confrontation: 1297 in the OED,[6] about 1300 in Barnhart and Etymonline;[2][3] the verb, to meet as an adversary, about 1300.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

The weakened sense, to meet casually or unexpectedly, is from 1520 in Barnhart, the early 16th century in Etymonline,[2][3] and the noun in this sense from 1656.[6] To come up against a difficulty or problem follows.[7][8] In psychology, encounter therapy and the encounter group are from 1967, from the work of Carl Rogers.[3][6] A close encounter is a sighting of an alien spacecraft.[8]

Timeline

  • 1297 – a hostile meeting.[6]
  • c. 1300 – the verb, to confront.[2][3]
  • 1520 – to meet unexpectedly.[2]
  • 1967 – encounter group.[3][6]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To meet unexpectedly; to come upon.
  2. To be faced with a difficulty: encounter problems.
  3. To meet in battle or conflict.

Noun

  1. A meeting, especially an unplanned or brief one.
  2. A hostile meeting; a clash or battle.

Word family

  • encounterer
  • unencountered
  • reencounter
  • rencounter
  • encounter group

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins