determinism

[ dih-tur-muh-niz-uh m ]

/ dɪˈtɜr məˌnɪz əm /

noun

the doctrine that all facts and events exemplify natural laws.

the doctrine that all events, including human choices and decisions, have sufficient causes.

Nearby words

determinative, determinator, determine, determined, determiner, determinism, deterrence, deterrent, detersive, detest, detestable

Origin of determinism

First recorded in 1840–50; determine + -ism

Related forms

de·ter·min·ist, noun, adjectivede·ter·min·is·tic, adjectivede·ter·min·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbnon·de·ter·min·ist, noun, adjective

non·de·ter·min·is·tic, adjectivesem·i·de·ter·min·is·tic, adjective

Can be confused

determinism fatalism necessitarianism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for determinist

It is sometimes said that no matter how convinced a Determinist one may be, one always acts as though the will were free.
Determinism or Free-Will?|Chapman Cohen
It is based upon the fallacious hypothesis that the determinist escapes, or hopes to escape, the consequences of his acts.
Damn!|Henry Louis Mencken
While I am not a determinist, yet I admit we can't be free from ourselves.
Painted Veils|James Huneker
Berkeley had fully apprehended the Determinist position; see vii.
Parallel Paths|Thomas William Rolleston

Thus, as Mr. Chesterton suggests, no determinist is prevented from saying "if you please" to the housemaid.
A Preface to Politics|Walter Lippmann

British Dictionary definitions for determinist

determinism

/ (dɪˈtɜːmɪˌnɪzəm) /

noun

Also called: necessitarianism the philosophical doctrine that all events including human actions and choices are fully determined by preceding events and states of affairs, and so that freedom of choice is illusoryCompare free will (def. 1b)

the scientific doctrine that all occurrences in nature take place in accordance with natural laws

the principle in classical mechanics that the values of dynamic variables of a system and of the forces acting on the system at a given time, completely determine the values of the variables at any later time

Derived Forms

determinist, noun, adjectivedeterministic, adjective

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

Medicine definitions for determinist

determinism

[ dĭ-tûr′mə-nĭz′əm ]

n.

The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.

Culture definitions for determinist

determinism

In ethics, the view that human actions are entirely controlled by previous conditions, operating under laws of nature. Determinism is often understood as ruling out free will.