Adjacent Words

deterrent definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: tending to deter; "the deterrent effects of high prices" n
1: something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress [syn: hindrance, hinderance, deterrent, impediment, balk, baulk, check, handicap]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin deterrent-, deterrens, present participle of deterr?re to deter Date: 1829 1. serving to deter <a deterrent effect> 2. relating to deterrence <a deterrent view of punishment> • deterrent noun • deterrently adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. that deters. --n. a deterrent thing or factor, esp. a nuclear weapon regarded as deterring an enemy from attack. Derivatives: deterrence n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Deterrent De*ter"rent, a. [L. deterrens, p. pr. of deterrere. See Deter.] Serving to deter. ``The deterrent principle.'' --E. Davis.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Deterrent De*ter"rent, n. That which deters or prevents.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(deterrents) 1. A deterrent is something that prevents people from doing something by making them afraid of what will happen to them if they do it. They seriously believe that capital punishment is a deterrent... N-COUNT 2. A deterrent is a weapon or set of weapons designed to prevent enemies from attacking by making them afraid to do so. ...a nuclear deterrent. N-COUNT 3. If something has a deterrent effect, it has the effect of preventing people from doing certain things. ...his belief in the deterrent value of capital punishment. ADJ: ADJ n

Moby Thesaurus

admonishing, admonitory, alarming, awing, bar, block, blockade, bottleneck, catch, cautionary, cautioning, check, chill, chilling, cold water, cordon, curtain, damp, damper, daunting, determent, deterring, difficulty, disconcerting, discouragement, discouraging, disheartening, disincentive, disinclining, dismaying, disquieting, dissuading, dissuasion, dissuasive, drawback, exemplary, expostulatory, fear-inspiring, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, forestalling, frightening, frightful, hang-up, hazard, hindrance, hitch, hurdle, impediment, intimidating, joker, monitorial, monitory, notificational, notifying, objection, obstacle, obstruction, obstructive, one small difficulty, overawing, preclusive, preventative, preventive, prohibitive, prophylactic, rub, scaring, scary, snag, startling, stumbling block, stumbling stone, warning, wet blanket