Assault vs Encounter - What's the difference?

Assault is a related term of encounter.

As nouns the difference between assault and encounter

is that assault is a violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town while encounter is an unplanned or unexpected meeting.

As verbs the difference between assault and encounter

is that assault is to attack, threaten or harass while encounter is to meet (someone) or find (something) unexpectedly.

assault

English

Noun

(en noun)

A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, etc.; an onslaught; the rush or charge of an attacking force; onset; as, to make assault upon a man, a house, or a town.

* Prescott

The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault .

* Shakespeare

Unshaken bears the assault / Of their most dreaded foe, the strong southwest.

A violent onset or attack with moral weapons, as words, arguments, appeals, and the like; as, to make an assault on the prerogatives of a prince, or on the constitution of a government.

(criminal, legal) An attempt to commit battery: a violent attempt, or willful effort with force or violence, to do hurt to another, but without necessarily touching his person, as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner, or by striking at him and missing him.

(singulare tantum, legal) The crime whose action is such an attempt.

An act that causes someone to apprehend imminent bodily harm.

(singulare tantum, legal) The tort whose action is such an act.

(fencing) A non-competitive combat between two fencers.

Synonyms

Derived terms

* antiassault * assault and battery * nonassault * reassault

Coordinate terms

* battery

Verb

(en verb)

To attack, threaten or harass.

encounter

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete) * incounter (archaic) * incountre (obsolete)

Verb

(en verb)

To meet (someone) or find (something) unexpectedly.

To confront (someone or something) face to face.

(ambitransitive) To engage in conflict, as with an enemy.

Three armies encountered at Waterloo.

* Shakespeare

I will encounter with Andronicus.

Noun

(en noun)

An unplanned or unexpected meeting.

*:That was Selwyn's first encounter with the Ruthvens. A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe.

A hostile meeting; a confrontation or skirmish.

A sudden, often violent clash, as between combatants.

(label) A match between two opposing sides.

*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport

, title= Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal , passage=Andre Santos equalised and the outstanding Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead for the first time before Juan Mata's spectacular strike set up the finale for an enthralling encounter .}}

Synonyms

* (unplanned meeting ): * (hostile meeting ): clash, confrontation, brush, skirmish

Derived terms

* close encounter * encounter group