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Determinist: meaning, definitions and examples

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determinist

 

[ dɪˈtɜː.mɪnɪst ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

philosophy

A person who believes in or advocates determinism, the doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes regarded as external to the will.

Synonyms

fatalist, predestinarian, predestinist

Examples of usage

  • The determinist argued that free will is an illusion.
  • She is a determinist who believes that everything is predetermined.
Context #2 | Noun

psychology

A person who believes that most behavior is determined by heredity and environment.

Synonyms

behaviorist, conditionalist

Examples of usage

  • The psychologist is a determinist who focuses on genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
  • Many determinists argue that criminal behavior is a result of upbringing and genetics.

Translations

Translations of the word "determinist" in other languages:

🇵🇹 determinista

🇮🇳 नियतावादी

🇩🇪 Determinist

🇮🇩 deterministik

🇺🇦 детермініст

🇵🇱 determinista

🇯🇵 決定論者 (けっていろんしゃ)

🇫🇷 déterministe

🇪🇸 determinista

🇹🇷 determinist

🇰🇷 결정론자 (gyeoljeongronja)

🇸🇦 حتمي (ḥatmī)

🇨🇿 determinista

🇸🇰 determinista

🇨🇳 确定论者 (quèdìnglùnzhě)

🇸🇮 determinist

🇮🇸 ákvörðunarhyggjumaður

🇰🇿 детерминист

🇬🇪 დეტერმინისტი

🇦🇿 determinist

🇲🇽 determinista

Etymology

The word 'determinist' originated in the early 19th century from the Latin word 'determinare', meaning 'to limit'. It first appeared in philosophical discussions about free will and determinism, with debates about whether human actions are predetermined by external forces or if individuals have free will. Over time, the term has been used in various fields, including philosophy, psychology, and sociology, to describe individuals who believe in the influence of external factors on human behavior.

See also: determinability, determinable, determination, determine, determined, determinedly, determiner, indeterminacy, indeterminate, indeterminateness, predetermine, predetermined, undetermined.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #31,620 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.