A meeting, especially one that is unexpected or brief. It can also mean a conflict or direct experience with something.
From Old French *encontrer* ('to meet, come against'), from Late Latin *incontrare* ('to meet face to face'). The roots *in-* ('in') and *contra* ('against') suggest a meeting that can be friendly or confrontational.
An 'encounter' always has a tiny spark of friction in it—the original idea was 'coming up against' someone. That’s why we talk about 'close encounters' or 'strange encounters'; they’re meetings that push on us a little.
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