determine
Americanverb (used with object)
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determines,
present (3rd person singular)
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determined,
past participle, past
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determining
present participle
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to conclude or ascertain, as after reasoning, observation, etc.
- Synonyms:
- verify
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to settle or decide (a dispute, question, etc.) by an authoritative or conclusive decision.
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to cause, affect, or control; fix or decide causally.
Demand for a product usually determines supply.
- Synonyms:
- influence
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to give direction or tendency to; impel.
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Geometry. to fix the position of.
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Logic. to limit (a notion) by adding differentiating characteristics.
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Chiefly Law. to put an end to; terminate.
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to lead or bring (a person) to a decision.
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to decide upon.
verb (used without object)
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determines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
determined,
past participle, past
-
determining
present participle
-
to come to a decision or resolution; decide.
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Chiefly Law. to come to an end.
verb
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to settle or decide (an argument, question, etc) conclusively, as by referring to an authority
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(tr) to ascertain or conclude, esp after observation or consideration
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(tr) to shape or influence; give direction to
experience often determines ability
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(tr) to fix in scope, extent, variety, etc
the river determined the edge of the property
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to make or cause to make a decision
he determined never to marry
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(tr) logic to define or limit (a notion) by adding or requiring certain features or characteristics
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(tr) geometry to fix or specify the position, form, or configuration of
two points determine a line
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law to come or bring to an end, as an estate or interest in land
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(tr) to decide (a legal action or dispute)
Usage
What does determine mean? Determine means to conclude, as after reasoning or observing, as in After considering all my options, I’ve determined which college I want to attend. Generally, to determine something is to come to a conclusive decision from a place of authority on the subject. Determine can also mean to cause or control, as in How much homework my teacher assigns will determine whether I can go to the game tonight. Determine is also used to mean to give direction to, as a boss might determine what tasks their employees will do. Example: I have determined that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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quasi-determineverb
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redetermineverb
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interdetermineverb (used with object)
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undeterminingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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determinesimple
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determinessimple
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have determinedperfect
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has determinedperfect
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am determiningprogressive
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are determiningprogressive
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is determiningprogressive
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have been determiningperfect progressive
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has been determiningperfect progressive
Past
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determinedsimple
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had determinedperfect
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was determiningprogressive
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were determiningprogressive
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had been determiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of determine
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French determiner, from Latin dētermināre “to mark out and fix boundaries,” equivalent to dē- prefix indicating separation + termināre “to bound, limit”; see de-, terminate
Explanation
If you determine something, you figure it out or settle a question, like when, after checking paws and hands, you determine that it's not the dog that ate your candy stash, but your kid sister. Determine comes from the Latin for "bring to a close," and when you determine something, you have closed all the questions you have about it and are quite sure you know the answer. If you become a detective, you'll have to determine who did the crime. After working through a mathematical problem, you determine the value of X. Determine can also mean influence. Your childhood spent in your grandmother's delightful kitchen might have determined your future career as a baker.
Vocabulary lists containing determine
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Appraisals are a risky move because a judge will determine the ultimate price, which could give the investors more or less than the agreed deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The inquiry was established to determine if the bombing could have been prevented by UK state authorities.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Researchers writing in a linked editorial say more rigorous and well-powered trials are still needed to determine whether supplementation might benefit people at especially high risk.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
The researchers now want to determine more precisely how calcium triggers the contraction and how the organism prepares itself to repeat the process.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
“The return address—53. We have to determine what 53 refers to,” I tell him.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
The scion above it determines the type of fruit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
They also studied how the process varied with momentum transfer, which determines the spatial scale being examined inside the nucleus.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
A deductible determines how much one needs to pay out of pocket before their insurance coverage starts paying for claims.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
If the league determines they violated the NFL’s personal conduct policy, they could be suspended.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Since it is the solar year, not the lunar year, that determines the time for harvest and planting, the seasons seem to drift when you reckon by an uncorrected lunar year.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Authorities at the Temple in Jerusalem determined important dates using the prevailing calendar, but the Qumran sect rejected the idea that human leaders should have that power.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Pantoja came out determined to impose his style from the opening seconds, but Van found a way to keep him at a distance, counter with his boxing and survive the former champion’s take-down attempts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Ohanian is determined to bridge a perceived disconnect between the attention on the sport at each Olympic Games compared to the rest of the calendar in those four-year cycles.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
And then there are the spectators determined to film entire concerts from their iPhones—or worse, filming themselves watching entire concerts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The press had found their star in the blunt old man determined to stay by his mountain.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Understanding Phobos' gravitational field is therefore a critical step toward learning how mass is distributed inside the moon and, in turn, determining how it formed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
America’s homegrown narratives also have a distinctively national flavor, portraying the choices made by individuals as determining their fate.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The Fed should give the increase time to take effect before determining how much additional restraint is necessary, Rick says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Selling the property for fair market value would also give your cousin funds, which would be included if determining his eligibility.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
The answer lies in determining the probability of doing this well or better by chance.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
