deter
verb
de·ter
| \ di-ˈtər
, dē-\
, dē-\
deterred;
deterring
Definition of deter
1
: to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting
she would not be deterred by threats
2
: inhibit
painting to deter rust
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Other Words from deter
determent
\ di-ˈtər-mənt
, dē- \
noun
, dē- \
noun
deterrability
\ di-ˌtər-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē
, dē- \
noun
, dē- \
noun
deterrable
\ di-ˈtər-ə-bəl
, dē- \
adjective
, dē- \
adjective
Examples of deter in a Sentence
Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, the automaker in most imminent danger of failure, gave lawmakers three reasons Chapter 11 isn't an option. First, the special financing that usually tides companies over through reorganization is so scarce right now that GM might not be able to get enough to keep functioning. Second, the stigma of bankruptcy would deter consumers from buying GM cars. Third, GM is already in the midst of a dramatic reorganization that will pave the way to a profitable future.
— Justin Fox, Time, 1 Dec. 2008
For some species that deter attack by being poisonous, the goal of their physical appearance is not to hide or confuse other forest creatures, but to be noticed.
— Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Originally developed to monitor and track cattle, radio frequency identification (RFID) is now the cutting edge in merchandise, parcel, and baggage tracking. It's debuting in stores and libraries across the country as the most effective way to track inventory and deter theft without making consumers feel like they're in a war zone.
— Athan Bezaaitis, PC Magazine, January 2000
None of these tribulations deterred spectators in the least. The ancient Olympics remained immensely popular, the greatest recurring event in antiquity, from 776 b.c. (when Hercules himself was said to have founded them) until a ban on pagan festivals by Christian emperor Theodosius I in the fourth century a.d. ensured their demise—a spectacular thousand-year run.
— Leigh Steinberg, Civilization, June/July 2000
Some potential buyers will be deterred by the price.
Painting the metal will deter rust.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Initially, Bare apparently was able, using a police flashlight, to deter Thakuri that night, when Thakuri may have been mentally unstable, Johnson said. — Bruce Finley, The Denver Post, "A year later, Nepali-Americans mourn, demand justice in Westminster police killing of unarmed immigrant Birendra Thakuri," 25 Aug. 2019 In order to deter families from crossing the southern border illegally, the plan goes, a rule limiting family detention to 20 days will be eliminated. — S.m. | Des Moines, The Economist, "Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies face court challenges," 22 Aug. 2019 Case took years In the 1980s, the Reagan administration aggressively used detention of Central Americans as a device to deter migration from that region, where violent civil wars had caused tens of thousands to flee. — Kevin Johnson, The Conversation, "Changes for a landmark agreement mean immigrant children face harsher treatment in US," 22 Aug. 2019 To deter agents from duping college underclassmen into turning pro and thus forfeiting NCAA eligibility, the UAAA also requires that representation contracts include, in boldface type and in capital letters, several warnings. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "What's Next in Zion Williamson's Extended Federal Lawsuit?," 22 Aug. 2019 The doctrine does — as a practical matter — allow citizens to use the threat of decisive force to deter unlawful violence. — David French, National Review, "A Michigan Court Case Shows the Right of Armed Self-Defense Is Broader Than You Might Think," 21 Aug. 2019 The graphic warnings are intended to deter smoking. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Check out the gory, cringy images the FDA wants to put on cigarettes," 16 Aug. 2019 The condemnation doesn’t seem to have deterred Trump, who drew further ire this week for Tweets denigrating the city of Baltimore. — Amy Gunia, Time, "'She Went Back With Me.' Ilhan Omar Trolls Trump by Posing With Pelosi in Ghana," 2 Aug. 2019 One simple regulatory change now working through the state’s rulemaking system, Marvin explained, likely would make cases easier to close and help deter songbird trafficking. — Karine Aigner, National Geographic, "Songbirds are being snatched from Miami’s forests," 25 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for deter
deter
verb
English Language Learners Definition of deter
: to cause (someone) to decide not to do something
: to prevent (something) from happening
See the full definition for deter in the English Language Learners Dictionary
deter
verb
de·ter
| \ di-ˈtər
\
\
deterred;
deterring
Kids Definition of deter
1
: to cause (someone) not to do something
Nothing deters a good man from doing what is honorable.— Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
2
: to prevent (something) from happening
Painting the metal will deter rust.
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