de ‧ ter ‧ rent /dɪˈterənt $ -ˈtɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . something that makes someone less likely to do something, by making them realize it will be difficult or have bad results:
The small fines for this type of crime do not act as much of a deterrent.
deterrent to/for/against
Window locks are an effective deterrent against burglars.
the deterrent effect of prison sentences
2 . nuclear deterrent the ↑ nuclear weapons that a country has in order to prevent other countries from attacking it
—deterrence noun [uncountable]