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deterrent
[ dih-tur-uhnt, -tuhr-, -ter- ]
/ dÉȘËtÉr Ént, -ËtÊr-, -ËtÉr- /
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adjective
serving or tending to deter.
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.
OTHER WORDS FOR deterrent
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Origin of deterrent
OTHER WORDS FROM deterrent
de·ter·rent·ly, adverbnon·de·ter·rent, adjectiveWords nearby deterrent
determiner, determinism, deterministic, deterred, deterrence, deterrent, detersive, detest, detestable, detestation, dethatch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use deterrent in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for deterrent
deterrent
/ (dÉȘËtÉrÉnt) /
noun
something that deters
a weapon or combination of weapons, esp nuclear, held by one state, etc, to deter attack by another
adjective
tending or used to deter; restraining
Derived forms of deterrent
deterrence, nounWord Origin for deterrent
C19: from Latin dÄterrÄns hindering; see deter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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