determinism
[ dih-tur-muh-niz-uh m ]
/ dɪˈtɜr məˌnɪz əm /
noun
the doctrine that all facts and events exemplify natural laws.
the doctrine that all events, including human choices and decisions, have sufficient causes.
OTHER WORDS FROM determinism
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH determinism
determinism fatalism necessitarianismWords nearby determinism
determinative,
determinator,
determine,
determined,
determiner,
determinism,
deterrence,
deterrent,
detersive,
detest,
detestable
Example sentences from the Web for determinism
British Dictionary definitions for determinism
determinism
/ (dɪˈtɜːmɪˌnɪzəm) /
noun
Also called: necessitarianism
the philosophical doctrine that all events including human actions and choices are fully determined by preceding events and states of affairs, and so that freedom of choice is illusory
Compare free will (def. 1b)
the scientific doctrine that all occurrences in nature take place in accordance with natural laws
the principle in classical mechanics that the values of dynamic variables of a system and of the forces acting on the system at a given time, completely determine the values of the variables at any later time
Derived forms of determinism
determinist, noun, adjective deterministic, adjectiveMedical definitions for determinism
determinism
[ dĭ-tûr′mə-nĭz′əm ]
n.
The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.