deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
di-ˈtər-ən(t)s 
-ˈter-
-ˈter-
-ˈtə-rən(t)s,
-ˈte-;
dē-
: the act or process of deterring: such as
a
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
b
: the maintenance of military power for the purpose of discouraging attack
nuclear deterrence
Examples of deterrence in a Sentence
The author argues that deterrence is no longer the best way to prevent war.
Recent Examples on the Web
And the way to reestablish deterrence is to ignore the arms of the octopus and go straight for its head.
—
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
Iran has retaliated directly against Israel for the killings of its senior generals in Damascus, Syria, with an onslaught of more than 300 drones and missiles aimed at restoring its credibility and deterrence, officials and analysts say.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
For a start, the West will need to find the right balance between deterrence and reassurance with Moscow and Beijing to avoid dangerous escalatory situations that could arise from accidents, misperceptions, and miscommunication.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
But there are other purposes, such as deterrence and restraint.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Considerable questions remain about how a nuclear deterrence umbrella would work without the U.S.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2024
Two Iranian officials who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that Iran had placed all its armed forces on full high alert and that a decision had been made that Iran must respond directly to the Damascus attack to create deterrence.
—Ronen Bergman, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
By their logic, if a decisive victory is not achievable in Gaza, a war in Lebanon could yet restore Israeli deterrence, damage Iran’s deeper strategic interests, and possibly initiate a spiraling conflict that could lead the U.S. to strike Iran and its nuclear facilities.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Focused deterrence is a crime prevention strategy that targets high-risk offenders, featuring both swift sanctions for offenses and social services and community support to enable change.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 19 Apr. 2024
Iran has retaliated directly against Israel for the killings of its senior generals in Damascus, Syria, with an onslaught of more than 300 drones and missiles aimed at restoring its credibility and deterrence, officials and analysts say.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
For a start, the West will need to find the right balance between deterrence and reassurance with Moscow and Beijing to avoid dangerous escalatory situations that could arise from accidents, misperceptions, and miscommunication.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
But there are other purposes, such as deterrence and restraint.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Considerable questions remain about how a nuclear deterrence umbrella would work without the U.S.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Mar. 2024
Two Iranian officials who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that Iran had placed all its armed forces on full high alert and that a decision had been made that Iran must respond directly to the Damascus attack to create deterrence.
—Ronen Bergman, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
By their logic, if a decisive victory is not achievable in Gaza, a war in Lebanon could yet restore Israeli deterrence, damage Iran’s deeper strategic interests, and possibly initiate a spiraling conflict that could lead the U.S. to strike Iran and its nuclear facilities.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Focused deterrence is a crime prevention strategy that targets high-risk offenders, featuring both swift sanctions for offenses and social services and community support to enable change.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deterrence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Deterrence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deterrence. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
di-ˈtər-ən(t)s
-ˈter-
-ˈter-
: the act, process, or capability of deterring
Legal Definition
deterrence
noun
de·ter·rence
di-ˈtər-əns, -ˈter-
: the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment
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