de·ter·min·ism (dĭ-tûr'mə-nĭz'əm) n. The philosophical doctrine that every state of affairs, including every human event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedent states of affairs. de·ter'min·ist n., de·ter'min·is'tic adj., de·ter'min·is'ti·cal·ly adv.
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.
Main Entry: de·ter·min·ism Pronunciation: di-'t&r-m&-"niz-&m Function: noun 1: a theory or doctrine that acts ofthe will, occurrences in nature, or social or psychological phenomena are causally determined by preceding events or natural laws determinism> 2: the quality or state of being determined —de·ter·min·is·tic/-"t&r-m&-'nis-tik/alsode·ter·min·ist/-'t&rm-(&-)n&st/adjective —de·ter·min·is·ti·cal·ly/-"t&r-m&-'nis-ti-k(&-)lE/adverb
determinism de·ter·min·ism (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.