determinism

/dɪˈtɜːrmɪnɪzəm/
noun
  1. The belief that everything that happens is caused by things that happened before, so that people have no real free choice.
    • She found determinism comforting because it suggested everything happens for a reason.
    • In philosophy class, we debated whether determinism means our futures are already set.
    • Many scientists reject strict determinism because it leaves no room for randomness.
Synonyms