deterrence

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noun de·ter·rence \ di-ˈtər-ən(t)s , -ˈter- ; -ˈtə-rən(t)s , -ˈte- ; dē- \

Definition of deterrence

: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

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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

Nuclear weapons usually bestow a grave responsibility as well as deterrence against aggressors.

— jon talton, The Seattle Times, "Events in Asia put state’s trading ties at risk," 25 Aug. 2017
The reliability of military deterrence is going to be put to the test in the Pacific.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The F-35 Is on Its Way to Stare Down North Korea," 17 Aug. 2017
The opposition Liberty Korea Party on Wednesday adopted the demand as its official party line, saying that the presence of such weapons would strengthen deterrence against the North.

— christopher bodeen, chicagotribune.com, "China urges U.S., North Korea to 'hit the brakes' on threats," 16 Aug. 2017
Diplomacy, or deterrence by other means, is obviously preferable.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "North Korean Missile Crisis, HBO Hacks, Bitcoin Cash Clash," 12 Aug. 2017
For when a superpower makes such a threat and doesn’t follow through, its nuclear credibility — the cornerstone of our deterrence — is damaged well below the waterline.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Reckless Nuclear Bluffing," 11 Aug. 2017
If North Korea continues its aggression, the game of thrones will be repeated in the Middle East as nations begin contemplating nuclear deterrence against a rogue state.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Korean Games of Thrones," 25 July 2017
And yet Israel attacked only because neither Iraq nor Syria had created deterrence by possession of a single deliverable nuclear weapon.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "West Can Neither Live with nor Take Out North Korean Nukes," 13 July 2017
Deterrence, of course, is the main point of having nuclear weapons, as Kim well knows.

— vanityfair.com, "Trump Is About to Face the First Great Test of His Presidency," 5 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1861

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Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

DETERRENCE Defined for English Language Learners

deterrence

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noun

Definition of deterrence for English Language Learners

: the act of making someone decide not to do something : the act of preventing a particular act or behavior from happening
politics : the policy of developing a lot of military power so that other countries will not attack your country