determinism
noun
de·ter·min·ism
di-ˈtər-mə-ˌni-zəm 
dē-
1
philosophy
a
: a theory or doctrine that acts of the will (see will entry 2 sense 4a), occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws
b
: a belief in predestination
2
: the quality or state of being determined
compare indeterminism
Examples of determinism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All these businesses were banking on connectivity getting better and better with every passing year — a kind of implicit determinism that reminded me of other beliefs, such as the one that house prices could only ever go up, or the one that the economy would always grow in the long run.
—
Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
Critics accused him of veering back toward Manichaean determinism.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
At its core, the film is a cautionary tale of biological determinism—how genetic data, when misused, can restrict rather than empower.
—Niven R. Narain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia flirted with another form of historical determinism: the belief that the country would eventually join the global march toward free-market liberal democracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for determinism
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Samanth Subramanian, The Dial, 14 Oct. 2025
Critics accused him of veering back toward Manichaean determinism.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 30 Sep. 2025
At its core, the film is a cautionary tale of biological determinism—how genetic data, when misused, can restrict rather than empower.
—Niven R. Narain, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia flirted with another form of historical determinism: the belief that the country would eventually join the global march toward free-market liberal democracy.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for determinism
Cite this Entry
“Determinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/determinism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
determinism
noun
de·ter·min·ism
di-ˈtər-mə-ˌniz-əm
1
: a theory or doctrine that acts of the will, occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws
explained behavior by the combination of an environmental and a genetic determinism
2
: the quality or state of being determined
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share