encounter vs combat

encounter and combat both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
encounter	Yes	No	Yes	No
combat	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, combat is a hypernym of encounter; that is, combat is a word with a broader meaning than encounter:

Other hypernyms of encounter include fight, fighting, scrap.

encounter (noun)	combat (noun)
a minor short-term fight	an engagement fought between two military forces
a casual meeting with a person or thing	the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
a hostile disagreement face-to-face
a casual or unexpected convergence

encounter (verb)	combat (verb)
contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle	battle or contend against in or as if in a battle
come together
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
be beset by
experience as a reaction