1. unexpected or casual meetings with someone or something
2. hostile meetings or conflicts

1. meets someone or something unexpectedly
2. experiences or faces a difficulty or problem

Examples

• She had several strange encounters during her trip abroad.
• The police reported multiple encounters with protesters downtown.
• He encounters new challenges every day at his job.
• The hikers encountered a bear on the mountain trail.
• Students often encounter difficulties with advanced mathematics.
• The ship’s crew had hostile encounters with pirates.
• Wildlife encounters are common in this national park.