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
compare indeterminism
Examples of determinism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
William Wright—a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California San Diego’s neurobiology faculty and one of the Science paper’s co-authors—explains that there must be some degree of determinism to the way neuroplasticity plays out.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
Xi, driven by a sense of Marxist-Leninist determinism, also believes that history is on his side.
—Kevin Rudd, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2021
For one thing, there’s the name, the best example of nominative determinism in the annals of English literature.
—Bryan Walsh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
The New York Review of Books, often host to the late, great Stephen Jay Gould, who adamantly rejected genetic determinism, should know better than this!
—Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 6 Feb. 2025
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Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025
Xi, driven by a sense of Marxist-Leninist determinism, also believes that history is on his side.
—Kevin Rudd, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2021
For one thing, there’s the name, the best example of nominative determinism in the annals of English literature.
—Bryan Walsh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
The New York Review of Books, often host to the late, great Stephen Jay Gould, who adamantly rejected genetic determinism, should know better than this!
—Jessica Riskin, The New York Review of Books, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for determinism
Cite this Entry
“Determinism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/determinism. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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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