deterrence

Sometimes de·ter·ren·cy

[dih-tur-uhns, -tuhr-, -ter-]

noun

1. the act of deterring, especially deterring a nuclear attack by the capacity or threat of retaliating.

deterrence

1. A military capability sufficiently strong to discourage any would-be aggressor from starting a war because of the fear of retaliation. (See balance of terror.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of deterrence¹

First recorded in 1860–65; deterr(ent) + -ence

Example Sentences

He began the necessary job of transferring to networks of regional allies more of the responsibility for global deterrence.

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That makes restoring deterrence even more important for Europe—and the U.S.

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Administration officials have characterized the shift as pragmatic deterrence that forces Taipei to fund its own defense capabilities while avoiding symbolic gestures that could grant Beijing a pretext for a Ukraine-style conflict.

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Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European commissioner for transport and tourism, stressed that Europe doesn’t want a war with Russia, but that it is introducing these measures as a deterrence.

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Which is why punishment and deterrence are so important.

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