terrorism

1. (historical) The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.Examples: "In England I was proscribed for having vindicated the French Revolution, and I have suffered a rigorous imprisonment in France for having pursued a similar mode of conduct. During the reign of terrorism, I was a close prisoner for eight long months, and remained so above three months after the era of the tenth Thermidor."historicaluncountableusually

2. The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.Examples: "We at the GCN Prisoner Project often get letters from prisoners who are being harassed (above and beyond the usual terrorism of the prison business) because of their being queer."broadlyuncountableusually