- 1 a meeting, especially one that is sudden, unexpected or violent encounter (with somebody/something) Three of them were killed in the subsequent encounter with the police. encounter (between A and B) The story describes the extraordinary encounter between a man and a dolphin. a chance encounter I've had a number of close encounters (= situations that could have been dangerous) with bad drivers. It was his first sexual encounter (= first experience of sex). Flaubert was her first encounter with French literature. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebrief, first, initial, … verb + encounterhave, survive, win, … encounter + verboccur, take place, result in something, … prepositionencounter between, encounter with See full entry
- 2a sports match against a particular player or team She has beaten her opponent in all of their previous encounters. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebrief, first, initial, … verb + encounterhave, survive, win, … encounter + verboccur, take place, result in something, … prepositionencounter between, encounter with See full entry
- 3(Indian English) an incident in which police shoot dead a suspected criminal The two gangsters were later killed in a police encounter. Word OriginMiddle English (in the senses ‘meet as an adversary’ and ‘a meeting of adversaries’; formerly also as incounter): from Old French encontrer (verb), encontre (noun), based on Latin in- ‘in’ + contra ‘against’.Extra examples I decided not to risk a second close encounter with the snakes. I did not see him again, except for a brief encounter on a train. I had my first encounter with him two years ago. It was a chance encounter that led to the setting up of the new political party. The press conference was her first direct encounter with the media. examination of UFO sightings and alien encounters her early encounters with contemporary art my first encounter with my new boss the colonial encounter of indigenous craftsmen with Europeans the language we use in everyday social encounters violent encounters between police and protesters I’ve had a number of close encounters with bad drivers. It was his first sexual encounter. The whole thing was the result of a chance encounter in 1975. They lost their second-round encounter against Germany.
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