Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Terrorism is the use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. It operates outside the norms of international law and aims to instill fear to achieve its objectives.
Related terms
Non: State Actors - Entities that participate in international relations without being an acknowledged state, including terrorist groups.
Counterterrorism: The practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments, and corporations adopt to combat or prevent terrorism.
Radicalization: The process by which individuals come to adopt extremist political or religious ideologies, often leading them towards supporting or engaging in terrorist activities