deterrent

American  

[dih-tur-uhnt, -tuhr-, -ter-] / dɪˈtɜr ənt, -ˈtʌr-, -ˈtɛr- /

adjective

1. serving or tending to deter.

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noun

• deterrents
  plural

1. something that prevents, checks, or suppresses.

   a deterrent to crime.

2. something that repels.

   Our lemongrass-based bug deterrent is natural, safe, and effective.

   Synonyms:

   hindrance, check, curb, restraint

3. military strength or an ability to defend a country or retaliate strongly enough to deter an enemy from attacking.

deterrent British  

/ dɪˈtɛrənt /

noun

1. something that deters

2. a weapon or combination of weapons, esp nuclear, held by one state, etc, to deter attack by another

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adjective

1. tending or used to deter; restraining

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• deterrence
  noun
• nondeterrent
  adjective
• deterrently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deterrents
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of deterrent

First recorded in 1820–30; from Latin dēterrent- (stem of dēterrēns ), present participle of dēterrēre; see origin at deter, -ent

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deterrent deterrents

Judge Petts said Kershaw needed to be jailed as a "deterrent" to other cashiers so as to "prevent others from doing the same".

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Our first Columbia-class submarine won’t conduct a deterrent patrol until 2030.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Maybe threatening to attack is enough of a deterrent, and maybe military escorts are effective, Mills said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

He writes that the rule will have an “obvious deterrent effect on student enrollment,” and notes that dozens of international students have already withdrawn from their programs.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Any parent who has ever said to a recalcitrant child, “Okay, I’m going to count to ten and this time I’m really going to punish you,” knows the difference between deterrent and empty threat.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Some have proposed reimbursing fishers or using acoustic deterrents instead of mass slaughter.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

The government said it was committed to "restoring oceans to good health" and had been trialling deterrents since 2019.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

“And the durability of this truce depends less on the warmth of the words exchanged by the two leaders than on the credibility of the deterrents they can wield against each other.”

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

It would require ranchers seeking compensation to show they were using nonlethal deterrents approved by the department.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026

The pervasive emptiness and stultifying summer heat were only minor deterrents when compared with the more elemental consideration that all the banking and commercial institutions were based elsewhere, chiefly in Philadelphia and New York.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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Related Words

• disincentive
• hindrance
• obstacle

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