geographical determinism

[ jee-uh-graf-i-kuhl di-tur-muh-niz-uhm ]

noun

1. Sociology, Geography. a doctrine that considers geographical conditions to be the determining factor in human society or culture: Compare economic determinism, environmental determinism ( def 1 ).

   In the 20th century, geographical determinism was used to try to explain the unevenness of social and cultural development in different parts of the world.

geographical determinism

noun

1. sociol the theory that human activity is determined by geographical conditions

Word History and Origins

Origin of geographical determinism¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The city thrived because of a lucky confluence of technological discoveries, macro-political trends, and geographical determinism.

From Forbes