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Encounter vs Discovery - What's the difference?

encounter | discovery |

As nouns the difference between encounter and discovery

is that encounter is an unplanned or unexpected meeting while discovery is something discovered.

As a verb encounter

is to meet (someone) or find (something) unexpectedly.

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 dĂ©butante 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

    discovery

    English

    Noun

  • Something discovered.
    • This latest discovery should eventually lead to much better treatments for disease.
  • (uncountable) The discovering of new things.
    • The purpose of the voyage was discovery .
    automatic discovery of RSS feeds by a Web browser
  • (legal, uncountable) A pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.
    • The prosecution moved to suppress certain items turned up during discovery .
  • (legal, uncountable) Materials revealed to the opposing party during the pre-trial phase in which evidence is gathered.
    • The defense argued that the plaintiff's discovery was inadequate.

    Related terms

    * discover verb * discoverer noun * e-discovery