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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. Things, as well as people, can be deterred: the word can also mean "to stop or limit something," as in "policies that aim to deter vandalism."
Examples of deter in a Sentence
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.
Vogue, 12 Nov. 2025
In Butler’s neo-feudal vision, states and cities erect strict borders to deter migrants, the gap between rich and poor has widened, and massive wildfires in Southern California drive the state’s decline.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Even as plenty of doctors have scrambled to address the flaws of the WHI and the benefits of HRT for quelling the symptoms of menopause, women have remained, understandably, deterred by the scary warning.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Nov. 2025
Then Majak got two fouls, and Dutcher went small – first with 6-8 Jeremiah Oden (13 points) at the 5 and then 6-6 freshman Tae Simmons against a Bengals team that likes to enter the ball into the low block and deter the double team by spreading shooters across the 3-point line.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deter
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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deter
verb
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