Tony Abbott has faced flak from counter-terrorism advisers and Muslim community leaders over his repeated use of the phrase "death cult" to describe Islamic State.

The prime minister has used the term 346 times since September, according to a Sydney Morning Herald analysis of press releases, transcripts, speeches, interviews and YouTube videos.

Mr Abbott first coined the phrase on September 1 when announcing that Australia would enter Iraq.

"I refuse to call this hideous movement an 'Islamic state' because it is not a state; it is a death cult," he told parliament.

The term "ebola", by contrast, rated a mention just 63 times and "ice" was uttered 53 times in the same time period.

Dr Anne Aly from Curtin University, who has advised governments on counter-terrorism policy, told the Herald the use of the term "death cult" was counter-productive and did some of the terror group's marketing for them.

"Osama Bin Laden used to say, 'you love life, we love death'. Dying a martyr is their badge of honour, it's a huge push factor for young Australians and the Prime Minister is putting that front and centre," she said.

Kuranda Seyit, a Muslim youth worker and secretary of the Islamic Council of Victoria, said the phrase "death cult" created a perception among mainstream Australians that ISIL fighters are "violent psychopaths" while the term has little meaning for "the more impressionable sympathetic ear, say a young man angry with the world".