Definition of deterrence
: the act or process of deterring: such asa : the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishmentb : the maintenance of military power for the purpose of discouraging attack nuclear deterrence
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Examples of deterrence in a Sentence
The author argues that deterrence is no longer the best way to prevent war.
Recent Examples of deterrence from the Web
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And yet Israel attacked only because neither Iraq nor Syria had created deterrence by possession of a single deliverable nuclear weapon.
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Deterrence, of course, is the main point of having nuclear weapons, as Kim well knows.
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Ibaka long has held a fascination for the Heat because of an offensive game that takes opposing defenders to the perimeter, and a defensive game capable of deterrence at the rim.
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Seoul’s Defense Ministry said the bombers engaged in routine exercises with South Korean fighter jets aimed at showing deterrence against North Korea.
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The theory, Gelb said, was that if deterrence worked, the states with the highest incarceration rates would have lower rates of drug use.
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If deterrence were to fail, and an invasion were underway, North Korea already plans the widespread use of nuclear weapons against U.S. forces in South Korea and Japan.
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Holding them longer doesn’t provide deterrence or rehabilitation.
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And deterrence weakened is an invitation to instability, miscalculation, provocation and worse.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deterrence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of deterrence
see deter
DETERRENCE Defined for English Language Learners
deterrence
playDefinition of deterrence for English Language Learners
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: the act of making someone decide not to do something : the act of preventing a particular act or behavior from happening
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politics : the policy of developing a lot of military power so that other countries will not attack your country
Medical Dictionary
deterrence
Medical Definition of deterrence
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
Law Dictionary
deterrence
playLegal Definition of deterrence
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
Learn More about deterrence
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Britannica English: Translation of deterrence for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deterrence
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