deterrent
dih-TUR-unt
/dɪˈtɜːrənt/
A thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.
In law, it refers to the idea that punishment for one person will scare others away from committing the same crime.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'deterre', meaning 'to frighten away'. It is the same root as 'terror'. The idea is that the fear of the consequence keeps the person from acting.
Word relationships
- disincentive: Disincentive is a general term for something that discourages; deterrent is often more forceful or formal.
- incentive: An incentive encourages action; a deterrent discourages it.
Commonly confused with
- obstacle: An obstacle is a physical block; a deterrent is a psychological one.
Word family
- deter (verb): To discourage someone from doing something.
Collocations
- effective deterrent
- nuclear deterrent
- serve as a deterrent
Example sentences
- "Heavy fines serve as a deterrent to companies that might otherwise ignore environmental regulations." Criminology
- "The possession of nuclear weapons was seen as a deterrent against foreign invasion." International Relations
Memory hook
A DE-TERRENT keeps you from 'DE-TOURING' into bad behavior by using 'TERROR' (fear). Fear that stops action.
When not to use
Don't use it for a physical barrier that literally stops someone (like a wall); a deterrent works on the mind/fear.
Fun facts
- The 'Deterrence Theory' was a central pillar of Cold War strategy, known as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).
Related words
Explore more words
deterrence, punitive, disincentive, dissuade, prohibit, retributive
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