Definition of "determinism" [de•ter•min•ism]

• The philosophical doctrine that every state of affairs, including every human event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedent states of affairs. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I agree with you, and the notion of biological determinism is a sticky one when it comes to mothering."
• "The IQ determinism is read into it, he is talking about averages and probabilities."
• "I think self-determinism is also a fundamental right."