Rencontrer is used for first meetings, or chance encounters. “Meeting people” is so significant that the French have multiple expressions to convey more detail about the nature of the “meeting”. 

https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/french-verb-conjugation/to-meet-up/

Hi Rhea,

Just to supplement Maarten's link - For a chance meeting (bumping into someone by chance) tomber sur (qqn) is also used.

Jim

Thanks Maarten.. great link!