deterrent
Americanadjective
noun
-
something that prevents, checks, or suppresses.
a deterrent to crime.
-
something that repels.
Our lemongrass-based bug deterrent is natural, safe, and effective.
-
military strength or an ability to defend a country or retaliate strongly enough to deter an enemy from attacking.
noun
-
something that deters
-
a weapon or combination of weapons, esp nuclear, held by one state, etc, to deter attack by another
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deterrent
First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin dēterrent- (stem of dēterrēns ), present participle of dēterrēre; see origin at deter, -ent
Explanation
A deterrent makes you not want to do something. Let's say there's a giant pile of cookies being guarded by an angry dog — the dog is a deterrent. People talk about deterrents most often when discussing crime. The death penalty is supposed to be a deterrent — the idea is that people will be so scared of the death penalty that they won't commit certain crimes. Jail is another deterrent. Teachers also use deterrents — the possibility of getting detention is a deterrent that should encourage students to behave. A deterrent is the opposite of a reward. A reward encourages you to do the right thing, while a deterrent discourages you from doing the wrong thing.
Vocabulary lists containing deterrent
The Book Thief
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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This Week in Words: April 14 - 20, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To develop a meaningful deterrent, no country would wait until conclusive public evidence proved its adversaries had nuclear weapons.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
"These letters are probably intended to have more of a deterrent effect - stop this or else."
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Surging hotel room costs in host cities are also a deterrent.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
"The best-case scenario is we put this in every single school in America and then never have to use it, right? Because it's got a deterrent quality to it," said King, a former Navy SEAL.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Like the majority of American law-enforcement officials, Dewey is certain that capital punishment is a deterrent to violent crime, and he felt that if ever the penalty had been earned, the present instance was it.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
