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noun

deterrent

CEFR C2

something immaterial that interferes with or delays action or progress

In a sentence

Six example sentences with deterrent, each labelled with its topic.

  • A steep import tariff acted as a deterrent, and shipments through the northern port fell by half within two quarters.

    Economics

  • A ten minute respawn timer is the only real deterrent, since players will happily lose two lives to reach a shortcut.

    Gaming

  • Heavy filing fees became a deterrent to nuisance claims, and the small claims docket shrank by a third.

    Law

  • A two percent transfer fee proved a real deterrent, and most customers left their savings where they were.

    Finance

  • The visa paperwork is a deterrent for many travelers, who choose a neighboring country with simpler entry rules.

    Travel

  • A twelve step signup form was the deterrent, and cutting it to three steps tripled completed registrations.

    Startups

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Found in these word lists

Found in 5 published word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains deterrent. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.