deter

verb de·ter \ di-ˈtər , dē- \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Examples: deter in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Fearful History of deter

Definition of deter

deterred; deterring

transitive verb

1 : to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting

she would not be deterred by threats

2 : inhibit

painting to deter rust

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determent

play \-ˈtər-mənt\ noun

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deterrability

play \-ˌtər-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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deterrable

play \-ˈtər-ə-bəl\ adjective

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Examples of deter in a Sentence

Rick Wagoner, CEO of General Motors, the automaker in most imminent danger of failure, gave lawmakers three reasons Chapter 11 isn't an option. First, the special financing that usually tides companies over through reorganization is so scarce right now that GM might not be able to get enough to keep functioning. Second, the stigma of bankruptcy would deter consumers from buying GM cars. Third, GM is already in the midst of a dramatic reorganization that will pave the way to a profitable future. —Justin Fox, Time, 1 Dec. 2008
For some species that deter attack by being poisonous, the goal of their physical appearance is not to hide or confuse other forest creatures, but to be noticed. —Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
Originally developed to monitor and track cattle, radio frequency identification (RFID) is now the cutting edge in merchandise, parcel, and baggage tracking. It's debuting in stores and libraries across the country as the most effective way to track inventory and deter theft without making consumers feel like they're in a war zone. —Athan Bezaaitis, PC Magazine, January 2000
None of these tribulations deterred spectators in the least. The ancient Olympics remained immensely popular, the greatest recurring event in antiquity, from 776 b.c. (when Hercules himself was said to have founded them) until a ban on pagan festivals by Christian emperor Theodosius I in the fourth century a.d. ensured their demise—a spectacular thousand-year run. —Leigh Steinberg, Civilization, June/July 2000
Some potential buyers will be deterred by the price.
Painting the metal will deter rust.

Recent Examples of deter from the Web

The Bigfoot case is exactly the kind of pleading that anti-SLAPP legislation would help deter.

— jack greiner, Cincinnati.com, "Branson's Bigfoot on the Strip sues over TripAdvisor review," 12 June 2018
Its allies argue the rule will deter other manufacturers from opening here.

— adam ashton, sacbee, "Elon Musk's Tesla says new state rule punishes it for doing business in California," 11 June 2018
The joint effort surprised Obama’s advisers, but didn’t deter the President from pursuing negotiations with Tehran.

— adam entous, The New Yorker, "Donald Trump’s New World Order," 11 June 2018
Restoring Hope, also trained by Baffert, ran interference for the champion while traveling second and deterring any threats by forcing them to go extremely wide.

— beth harris, BostonGlobe.com, "Justify wins Triple Crown; Gronkowski the horse gets second," 10 June 2018
Restoring Hope, also trained by Baffert, ran interference for the champion while traveling second and deterring any threats by forcing them to go extremely wide.

— beth harris, Houston Chronicle, "Justify wins Belmont Stakes to become 13th Triple Crown champ," 9 June 2018
Restoring Hope, also trained by Baffert, ran interference for the champion while traveling second and deterring any threats by forcing them to go extremely wide.

— CBS News, "Justify captures Triple Crown, wins 150th Belmont Stakes," 9 June 2018
Still, criminologists and surveillance experts say research has shown that cameras have had a limited influence in deterring crime.

— rick rojas, The Seattle Times, "Newark police ask public to scan city’s surveillance-camera feeds," 9 June 2018
Still, criminologists and surveillance experts say research has shown that cameras have had a limited influence in deterring crime.

— New York Times, "In Newark, Police Cameras, and the Internet, Watch You," 9 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Fearful History of deter

The word deter is rooted in fear. It was borrowed into English around the mid-16th century from the Latin verb deterrēre, which in turn was formed by combining de-, meaning "from" or "away," with terrēre, meaning "to frighten." Terrēre is also the source of terror, terrible, and even terrific, which originally meant "very bad" or "frightful." These days, you may be deterred by something that frightens you or by something that simply causes you to think about the difficult or unpleasant consequences of continuing. The word can also mean "to inhibit," as in "painting to deter rust."