suicide attacker
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suicide attacker
A person who carries out an attack and deliberately accepts their own death or brings it about as part of the plan in order to cause maximum damage.
Der Selbstmordattentäter zündete den Sprengsatz in einer belebten Einkaufsstraße.
The suicide attacker detonated the explosive device on a busy shopping street.
This long word is easy to understand if you break it down: it consists of 'der Selbstmord' (suicide) and 'der Attentäter' (attacker/assassin). The 's' in between is a linking element (Fugen-s).
Die Nachrichten berichteten über den Anschlag durch einen Selbstmordattentäter.
The news reported on the attack by a suicide attacker.
The second part of the word, 'der Attentäter' (attacker/assassin), comes from 'das Attentat' (the attack/assassination attempt). An 'Attentäter' is therefore a person who carries out an attack or assassination attempt. Understanding this word family helps with many terms in the news.
Auf den Politiker wurde ein Attentat verübt.
An attack was carried out against the politician.
This word is a very specific term that occurs almost exclusively in the news, political discussions, and security reports. It is not a word for everyday language use.
Die Sicherheit am Flughafen wurde nach der Warnung vor Selbstmordattentätern erhöht.
Security at the airport was increased after the warning about suicide attackers.
terrorist
'der Terrorist' and 'der Selbstmordattentäter' can overlap, but they are not the same. A terrorist carries out terror, that is, violence or attacks, in order to spread fear and achieve certain goals. A suicide attacker is a person who deliberately plans for or accepts their own death in an attack. Many suicide attackers act in a terrorist context, but not every terrorist is a suicide attacker. The risk of confusion arises because both words often appear in news reports about attacks. 'Terrorist' describes political or ideological violence; 'Selbstmordattentäter' describes the specific type of attack.
Die Polizei prüft, ob der Selbstmordattentäter allein gehandelt hat.
The police are investigating whether the suicide attacker acted alone.
Der Terrorist wurde festgenommen, bevor er einen weiteren Anschlag planen konnte.
The terrorist was arrested before he could plan another attack.