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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.
Adam A. Millsap, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Both Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump have advised their respective supporters not to be deterred before submitting their vote.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
Texas Governor is planning to expand the use of buoy barriers across the Rio Grande to deter migrants from unlawfully entering the U.S.
The decision appears to come amid concerns of a surge in border crossings ahead of President-elect 's inauguration.
—Billal Rahman, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
But while the chances of Putin deploying a devastating nuclear weapon in his war with Ukraine are never nil, world leaders and analysts alike expressed doubts that the change amounted to much more than a new and more intense effort to deter the West.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deter 
Dictionary Entries Near deter
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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deter
verb
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