Define "terrorism".?

Terrorism is commonly defined as violent acts (or the threat of violent acts) intended to create fear (terror), perpetrated for a religious, political, or ideological goal, and which deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (e.g., neutral military personnel or civilians). Another common definition sees terrorism as political, ideological or religious violence by non-state actors. Some definitions now include acts of unlawful violence and war. The use of similar tactics by criminal organizations for protection rackets or to enforce a code of silence is usually not labeled terrorism, though these same actions may be labeled terrorism when done by a politically motivated group. Usage of the term has also been criticized for its frequent undue equating with Islamism or jihadism, while ignoring non-Islamic organizations or individuals.In the international community, terrorism has no legally binding, criminal-law definition.

The word "terrorism" is politically loaded and emotionally charged, and this greatly compounds the difficulty of providing a precise definition. A study on political terrorism examining over 100 definitions of "terrorism" found 22 separate definitional elements (e.g. Violence, force, fear, threat, victim-target differentiation). In some cases, the same group may be described as "freedom fighters" by its supporters and considered to be terrorists by its opponents. The concept of terrorism may be controversial as it is often used by state authorities (and individuals with access to state support) to delegitimize political or other opponents, and potentially legitimize the state's own use of armed force against opponents (such use of force may be described as "terror" by opponents of the state). At the same time, the reverse may also take place when states perpetrate or are accused of perpetrating state terrorism. The usage of the term has a controversial history, with individuals such as ANC leader Nelson Mandela at one point also branded a terrorist.

Terrorism is a military-style attack on civilians for the purpose of destroying morale.

It's important to realize (at least I think) that 'terrorism' originally was something governments did. The word comes from the so-called 'Reign of Terror' following the French Revolution. During WWII both sides bombed civilian populations for no real military reason, just to make people fearful and destroy their resolve to keep the war going. This was called 'terror bombing'.

It's only been in recent years that we've expanded the word to cover crazies who shoot up classrooms or bomb busses or crowded buildings.

Violent acts (or the threat of same) designed to induce fear (terror) in a population of non-combatants (civilians, neutral military personell).

Views on what constitutes terrorism vary widely. For example, in countries torn apart by civil strife, acts of violence by one faction against another may be viewed either as legitimate acts of war or as terrorism, depending on which side is asked. The word “terrorism” generally has reference to the use of violence as a means of coercion.
It might seem simple to define a terrorist. But that depends on which side of the issue you find yourself. Are the subversives of El Salvador terrorists or a ‘people’s national liberation movement’? Are the contras of Nicaragua terrorists, or are they “freedom fighters”? Terrorism, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Political persuasion can distort a definition.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, offers this definition of terrorism: “The deliberate and systematic murder, maiming, and menacing of the innocent to inspire fear for political ends.” (Terrorism—How the West Can Win) Sam Sarkesian of Loyola University, Chicago, defines it as “usually characterized by a variety of tactics, such as assassination, hijacking, kidnapping, sabotage, and the use of ‘innocent’ victims to affect a third party. Terrorism, in short, is the creation of fear in a population in order to force the existing system to respond to the terrorists’ demands and/or objectives.”—Hydra of Carnage.
On the other hand, Catholic professor of theology James Burtchaell writes: “Terrorism is the warfare of the desperate. . . . [It] is always the gesture of those who feel themselves at a disadvantage.”—Fighting Back.
Whichever way you look at it, terrorism usually means violence and death for innocent people. As Jan Schreiber writes in his book The Ultimate Weapon: “Like an army, a terrorist gang operates in a dehumanized mode, making atrocity the stuff of daily life.”
According to bible prophecies very soon Jehovah God righteous new system will end , terrorism and violence of every kind will be things of the past. Then everyone on earth will live in security, free from fear of any harm.—Revelation 21:3, 4.
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Terrorism is defined as the use of violent force calculated to inflict as much injury and/or death upon non-combatants in order to pursue their agenda that is political or religious in nature.

For example, a non-state terrorist enters a neutral military base then blew up the case with dynamite in order to influence the conduct of the government in regards to foreign policy, then that would have been described as terrorism because 1) the military base isn't exactly at war with any organization whatsoever and 2) because it is designed to shock and force the government into making concessions to their demands.

However, if military members are a party to the conflict at war with a non-state organization in a foreign land, and that non-state terrorists attacked and killed them in their sleep even with the same goals, then it would not be described as an act of terrorism. The same also applies to bombing munitions factories. Even though these factories are staffed by civilians, it does not exclude the bombing of such factories in order to undermine the enemy's ability to wage war. So basically, if civilians are killed inside the factories, then there would be a shortage of munitions workers and the entire arsenal of weapons would easily been halted.

the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.

https://www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGNI_enCA530CA530&q=terrorism

Injurious acts designed to cause a large amount of people to simultaneously panic in a way that affects the economy and general way of life of the people.

This isn't from Webster's. This is just my own stuff.

Terrorism is used for a political goal

Sick minded people.

The term "terrorism" comes from French terrorisme, from Latin: 'terror', "great fear", "dread", related to the Latin verb terrere, "to frighten". The terror cimbricus was a panic and state of emergency in Rome in response to the approach of warriors of the Cimbri tribe in 105BC. The French National Convention declared in September 1793 that "terror is the order of the day". The period 1793–94 is referred to as La Terreur (Reign of Terror). Maximilien Robespierre, a leader in the French revolution proclaimed in 1794 that "Terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible."[11]

The Committee of Public Safety agents that enforced the policies of "The Terror" were referred to as "Terrorists".[12] The word "terrorism" was first recorded in English-language dictionaries in 1798 as meaning "systematic use of terror as a policy".[13]

Although the Reign of Terror was imposed by the French government, in modern times "terrorism" usually refers to the killing of people by non-government political activists for political reasons, often as a public statement. This meaning originated with Russian radicals in the 1870s. Sergey Nechayev, who founded People's Retribution (Народная расправа) in 1869, described himself as a "terrorist".[14] German anarchist writer Johann Most helped popularize the modern sense of the word by dispensing "advice for terrorists" in the 1880s.[15]

According to Dr Myra Williamson: "The meaning of “terrorism” has undergone a transformation. During the reign of terror a regime or system of terrorism was used as an instrument of governance, wielded by a recently established revolutionary state against the enemies of the people. Now the term “terrorism” is commonly used to describe terrorist acts committed by non-state or subnational entities against a state."[16]

The unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims:
the fight against terrorism

Simplified: an individual, or groups of people who in some way plan and re-enact a forms to terrorize someone, to cause harm physically or mentally.

Ferguson protesters, especially the cop shooter(s).

Its definition is: "a meaningless word that the ruling class in the USA uses to accuse its opponents of something heinous whenever it can't come up with anything more creative like, oh, 'Communism' or something." Now take off your shoes and pull your computer out of your bag and hand over that explosive toupee or we'll haul you out of the airport and send you to Gitmo for a little waterboarding.