DETERRENCE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does deterrence mean? 

• DETERRENCE (noun)
  The noun DETERRENCE has 3 senses:

1. a negative motivational influence

2. a communication that makes you afraid to try something

3. the act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by instilling fear or doubt or anxiety

  Familiarity information: DETERRENCE used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DETERRENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A negative motivational influence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting goals

Synonyms:

deterrence; disincentive

Hypernyms ("deterrence" is a kind of...):

rational motive (a motive that can be defended by reasoning or logical argument)

Derivation:

deterrent (tending to deter)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A communication that makes you afraid to try something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

determent; deterrence; intimidation

Hypernyms ("deterrence" is a kind of...):

discouragement (the expression of opposition and disapproval)

Derivation:

deter (turn away from by persuasion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act or process of discouraging actions or preventing occurrences by instilling fear or doubt or anxiety

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("deterrence" is a kind of...):

hinderance; hindrance; interference (the act of hindering or obstructing or impeding)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "deterrence"):

discouragement (the act of discouraging)

nuclear deterrence (the military doctrine that an enemy will be deterred from using nuclear weapons as long as he can be destroyed as a consequence)

Derivation:

deter (try to prevent; show opposition to)

deterrent (tending to deter)

 Context examples 

But scientists have also now found these broadly-conserved genes responding to pathogen infection in very distantly-related plants, which suggests that land plants have retained a likely ancient pathogen deterrence strategy that is much too useful to lose.

(Ancient defence strategy continues to protect plants from pathogens, University of Cambridge)