1795, in specific sense of "government intimidation during the Reign of Terror in France" (March 1793-July 1794), from French terrorisme, noted in English by 1795 as a coinage of the Revolution, from Latin terror "great fear, dread, alarm, panic; object of fear, cause of alarm; terrible news," from PIE root *tres- "to tremble" (see terrible).
If the basis of a popular government in peacetime is virtue, its basis in a time of revolution is virtue and terror — virtue, without which terror would be barbaric; and terror, without which virtue would be impotent. [Robespierre, speech in French National Convention, 1794]
General sense of "systematic use of terror as a policy" is first recorded in English 1798 (in reference to the Irish Rebellion of that year). At one time, a word for a certain kind of mass-destruction terrorism was dynamitism (1883); and during World War I frightfulness (translating German Schrecklichkeit) was used in Britain for "deliberate policy of terrorizing enemy non-combatants."
c. 1600, in logic, "setting forth a general principle by virtue of which a proposition must be true," from Late Latin ostensivus "showing," from Latin ostens-, past-participle stem of ostendere "to show" (see ostensible). Related: Ostensively.
late 14c., "moral strength (as a cardinal virtue); courage," from Latin fortitudo "strength, force, firmness, manliness," from fortis "strong, brave" (see fort). From early 15c. as "physical strength."
"tried virtue or integrity, strict honesty," early 15c., probite, from Old French probité, from Latin probitatem (nominative probitas) "uprightness, honesty," from probus "worthy, good" (see prove).
