deter

Borrowed from Latin dēterreō (“deter, discourage”), from de (“from”) + terreō (“I frighten”).

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ)/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)

deter (third-person singular simple present deters, present participle deterring, simple past and past participle deterred)

1. (transitive) To prevent something from happening.
2. (transitive) To persuade someone not to do something; to discourage.

   Their boss deterred them from both taking holidays at the same time, claiming he couldn't manage it all on his own.

   • 2020 July 1, Paul Stephen, “Vital Connections”, in Rail, page 41:

     Such a male-dominated environment is also likely to contribute to the lingering presence of an outdated belief that expressing feelings and demonstrating emotion is a sign of weakness, deterring some men from discussing their problems.

   • 2022 September 9, Sameer Yasir, “2 Years After Deadly Fistfights, India and China Pull Back From Border”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 September 2022, Asia Pacific‎^[2]:

     Among the remaining contention points between the two armies is an eastern region called the Depsang Plains. Military analysts said that the Chinese Army was not allowing Indian troops to patrol in that area, even though they have done so for decades. While India’s military is already stretched thin, said Saurav Jha, editor in chief of the Delhi Defense Review, it still needs to keep up a permanent patrol to deter China.

3. (transitive) To distract someone from something.
   • 1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 10:

     we have in following enquiry, attempted to throw some light upon subjects, from which uncertainty has hitherto deterred the wise

• (To persuade someone to not do something): dissuade

• deterrent
• deterrence

• “deter”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “deter”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “deter”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• erted, treed

From Old Galician-Portuguese detẽer, from Latin dētinēre, present active infinitive of dētineō (“detain”).

• IPA^(key): [deˈteːɾ]

deter (first-person singular present deteño, first-person singular preterite detiven, past participle detido)

1. to detain, stop
2. to stay
3. to arrest

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “deteer”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “detee”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “deter”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “deter”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “deter”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

From Old Galician-Portuguese detẽer, from Latin dētinēre (“to detain”).

deter (first-person singular present detenho, first-person singular preterite detive, past participle detido)

1. to stop, arrest, detain, restrain
2. to deter
3. to withhold
4. to hold (a right or privilege)

   A empresa detém o direito de despedir os empregados.

   The company holds the right to fire its employees.

5. to own (corporate)

   Esta empresa detém uma cadeia de restaurantes.

   This company owns a restaurant chain.

• detenção
• detento
• detentor
• ter