deter

Definition

To prevent something from happening.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *tres- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti Proto-Italic *trozeō Latin terreō Latin dēterreōbor. English deter Borrowed from Latin dēterreō (“deter, discourage”), from de (“from”) + terreō (“I frighten”).

Example Sentences

• "Their boss deterred them from both taking holidays at the same time, claiming he couldn't manage it all on his own."
• "Such a male-dominated environment is also likely to contribute to the lingering presence of an outdated belief that expressing feelings and demonstrating emotion is a sign of weakness, deterring some men from discussing their problems."
• "Among the remaining contention points between the two armies is an eastern region called the Depsang Plains. Military analysts said that the Chinese Army was not allowing Indian troops to patrol in that area, even though they have done so for decades. While India’s military is already stretched thin, said Saurav Jha, editor in chief of the Delhi Defense Review, it still needs to keep up a permanent patrol to deter China."

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