Deterrence

Pronunciation: /dɪˈtɜːrəns/

Deterrence (noun)

  1. the act of stopping someone from doing something by making them afraid of the consequences.
  2. a strategy to prevent attacks by threatening severe retaliation.

Examples

  • The presence of security cameras acts as a deterrence to theft.
  • Strict penalties serve as deterrence against illegal activities.

Common collocations: act as deterrence, serve as deterrence, effective deterrence, military deterrence, nuclear deterrence

Synonyms of Deterrence

Formal

Neutral

Antonyms of Deterrence

  • when discussing motivation or support
  • when discussing actions that incite