Jabarkan Academic Consensus Definition (1988) dari Definisi terorisme

“Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group, or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby—in contrast to assassination—the direct targets of attacks are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat—and violence—based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperiled) victims, and main targets are used to manipulate the main target (audience(s)), turning it into a target of terror, a target of demands, or a target of attention, depending on whether intimidation, coercion, or propaganda is primarily sought” (Schmid) .

Tiga unsur definisi di atas, yaitu motif politik, rencana atau niat dan penggunaan kekerasan.

Menurut US Departements of State and Defense.

Terorisme adalah kekerasan yang bermotif politik dan dilakukan oleh agen negara atau kelompok subnasional terhadap sasaran kelompok non kombatan. Biasanya dengan maksud untuk memengaruhi audien. Terorisme internasional adalah terorisme yang melibatkan warga negara atau wilayah lebih dari satu negara .

Menurut States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism.