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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.
Beril Akman, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026
But the billionaire class does not seem to be deterred by slightly off-piste locations in the era of private jets and motor courts — 80 Clarkson has one, of course, with intricate metalwork, so drivers needn’t unload on the street, and there’s also a waiting room for them.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Jan. 2026
They can also be deterred by very basic obstacles and can be knocked out of the sky by other drones or dragged down with nets.
—Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Run-ins with the law didn't deter Hardy, and his harassment and cyberstalking continued for another full decade.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deter
Cite this Entry
“Deter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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deter
verb
