geographical determinism

American

[jee-uh-graf-i-kuhl di-tur-muh-niz-uhm] / ˌdʒi əˈgræf ɪ kəl dɪˈtɜr məˌnɪz əm /

Also geographic determinism

noun

Sociology, Geography. a doctrine that considers geographical conditions to be the determining factor in human society or culture.

In the 20th century, geographical determinism was used to try to explain the unevenness of social and cultural development in different parts of the world.

geographical determinism British

noun

sociol the theory that human activity is determined by geographical conditions

"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

Etymology

Origin of geographical determinism

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The city thrived because of a lucky confluence of technological discoveries, macro-political trends, and geographical determinism.

From Forbes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023