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To prevent or discourage from acting, as by means of fear or doubt: "Does negotiated disarmament deter war?” ( Edward Teller). See Synonyms at dissuade.
(verb-transitive)
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To prevent or discourage the occurrence of an action, as by means of fear or doubt: "It's this edge that gives nuclear weapons their power to deter” ( Thomas Powers).
(verb-intransitive)
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.