Terrorism is a highly contested term with no universal definition agreed upon between states and individuals. The document discusses several attempts by scholars to streamline the definition, focusing on aspects like politically motivated violence directed against noncombatants to instill fear. It also provides definitions from scholars Hoffman, Viotti & Kauppi, and Schmid. Additionally, the history of the term is briefly touched on, noting it was first used positively during the French Revolution to describe the regime de la terreur system of 1793-94.