deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
| \ di-ˈtər-ən(t)s
, -ˈter-
, -ˈtə-rən(t)s, -ˈte-; dē-\
, -ˈter-
, -ˈtə-rən(t)s, -ˈte-; dē-\
Definition of deterrence
: the act or process of deterring: such as
a
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
b
: the maintenance of military power for the purpose of discouraging attack
nuclear deterrence
Examples of deterrence in a Sentence
The author argues that deterrence is no longer the best way to prevent war.
Recent Examples on the Web
The drug regimen also appeared to prevent patients from passing along TB within days of starting treatment—a significant deterrence given the ease with which TB bacteria spreads from one person to another. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "F.D.A. Approves New Treatment for Deadliest Strain of Tuberculosis," 15 Aug. 2019 In cities that have continued and expanded their investments in focused deterrence, the gains have lasted. — Michelle A. Williams And Mary T. Bassett, Twin Cities, "Williams, Bassett: Gun violence can be reduced with public health techniques," 5 Aug. 2019 His help defense appeared more predicated on shot blocking than true deterrence, leaping out of position to a frustrating degree. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Sophomore Check-In: Assessing Expectations for Luka Doncic, Trae Young in Year 2," 26 July 2019 Ancient Persians invited breezes by throwing up clouds of saffron, while traditional Inuit storm deterrence relied on jars of urine and seaweed whips. — Julian Lucas, Harper's magazine, "New Books," 22 July 2019 The policy does not have the same goals as federal or state court systems, which focus on justice, punishment, predictability, compensation, deterrence and similar objectives. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "Could Roger Goodell Change Mind in Disciplining Ezekiel Elliott After Pressed Charges?," 16 July 2019 While the administration tries to find the line between deterrence and provocation, the Iranians appear to be struggling with the same problem. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, "After Placing Blame for Attacks, Trump Faces Difficult Choices on Confronting Iran," 13 June 2019 Combining legalization with deterrence, Reagan hoped, would fix the nation’s immigration system once and for all. — Anthony W. Fontes, The Conversation, "The long, bipartisan history of dealing with immigrants harshly," 9 July 2019 The administration is betting that the expansion will send a powerful message of deterrence to people in Central America considering undertaking the perilous journey north. — Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, "Asylum officers ask court to block Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy in surprising filing," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deterrence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for deterrence
deterrence
noun
English Language Learners Definition of deterrence
formal
: the act of making someone decide not to do something : the act of preventing a particular act or behavior from happening
politics
: the policy of developing a lot of military power so that other countries will not attack your country
See the full definition for deterrence in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
| \ di-ˈtər-ən(t)s, -ˈter-; -ˈtə-rən(t)s; dē-\
Medical Definition of deterrence
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
| \ di-ˈtər-əns, -ˈter-
\
\
Legal Definition of deterrence
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
Keep scrolling for more