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definitions

deter

[ dih-tur ]
/ dɪˈtɜr /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deter ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·terred, de·ter·ring.

to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding: The large dog deterred trespassers.
to prevent; check; arrest: timber treated with creosote to deter rot.

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RELATED WORDS

preemption, preclusion, obviation, deterrence, dissuasion, disincentive

Nearby words

  1. detente,
  2. detention,
  3. detention camp,
  4. detention centre,
  5. detention home,
  6. deterge,
  7. detergency,
  8. detergent,
  9. deteriorate,
  10. deterioration

Origin of deter

1570–80; < Latin dēterrēre to prevent, hinder, equivalent to dē- de- + terrēre to frighten
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for determent

deter

/ (dɪˈtɜː) /

verb -ters, -terring or -terred

(tr) to discourage (from acting) or prevent (from occurring), usually by instilling fear, doubt, or anxiety
Derived Formsdeterment, noun

Word Origin for deter

C16: from Latin dēterrēre, from de- + terrēre to frighten
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for determent

deter

v.

1570s, from Latin deterrere "to frighten from, discourage from," from de- "away" (see de-) + terrere "frighten" (see terrible). Deterrent is from 1829.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper