determinism
noun
de·ter·min·ism
di-ˈtər-mə-ˌni-zəm 
dē-
1
philosophy
a
: a theory or doctrine that acts of the will (see will entry 2 sense 4a), occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws
b
: a belief in predestination
2
: the quality or state of being determined
Examples of determinism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Directed by Oxide Pang and adapted for the screen by Pang and Patrick Neate, The Tesseract, manages to eke out some of Garland’s early ideas about determinism, fate, and human psychology, but the filmmakers’ efforts didn’t convince critics.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
His was a kinder form of the historical determinism of a Morgan or a Grant perhaps, but no less blinkered and time-bound.
—Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The series is a bit more sentimental, emphasizing relationships and individual agency over game theory and determinism.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
In general, overzealous applications of these technologies can be driven by a kind of genetic determinism — the naïve view that the meaningful differences between organisms within a population can be explained (mostly) by their genetic makeup.
—Shawn Walsh, Quanta Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for determinism 
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
His was a kinder form of the historical determinism of a Morgan or a Grant perhaps, but no less blinkered and time-bound.
—Charles King, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
The series is a bit more sentimental, emphasizing relationships and individual agency over game theory and determinism.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
In general, overzealous applications of these technologies can be driven by a kind of genetic determinism — the naïve view that the meaningful differences between organisms within a population can be explained (mostly) by their genetic makeup.
—Shawn Walsh, Quanta Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for determinism
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'determinism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near determinism
Cite this Entry
“Determinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/determinism. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
determinism
noun
de·ter·min·ism
di-ˈtər-mə-ˌniz-əm
1
: a theory or doctrine that acts of the will, occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws
explained behavior by the combination of an environmental and a genetic determinism
2
: the quality or state of being determined
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