Deterrent
/dɪˈtɛɹənt/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that deters.
"An extension of the system to serve new housing estates on the outskirts of the city, at an estimated cost of about £4,000,000 a mile, is being considered, but the narrow gauge, small clearances, and short platforms are deterrents."
- 2 something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Serving to deter, preventing something from happening.
Adjective
- 1 tending to deter wordnet
Example
More examples"The law's harsh sentence is a deterrent against drinking and driving."
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin dēterrēns, dēterrentem.