adjective
- serving to deter.
- Deter(noun): to prevent (something) from happening
Sources:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Deterrent
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deter
I came across this word in the reading excerpt, “A Picture Of Language: The Fading Art Of Diagramming Sentences” by Juanna Summers. This word can be found in the sentence “In 1985, the National Council of Teachers of English declared that “repetitive grammar drills and exercises” — like diagramming sentences — are “a deterrent to the improvement of students’ speaking and writing”. From learning what deterrent meant, this sentence is saying that repetitive grammar drills and exercises are preventing the improvement of students speaking and writing skills. It seems as though there’s no expansion of learning happening if students are being taught the same over and over again.
