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.

Origin of determinism

First recorded in 1840–50; determine + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM determinism

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH determinism

determinism fatalism necessitarianism

Words nearby determinism

determinative, determinator, determine, determined, determiner, determinism, deterrence, deterrent, detersive, detest, detestable

Example sentences from the Web for deterministic

British Dictionary definitions for deterministic

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, adjective

Medical definitions for deterministic

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.

Cultural definitions for deterministic

determinism

In ethics, the view that human actions are entirely controlled by previous conditions, operating under laws of nature. Determinism is often understood as ruling out free will.