determine
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to conclude or ascertain, as after reasoning, observation, etc.
- Synonyms:
- verify
-
to settle or decide (a dispute, question, etc.) by an authoritative or conclusive decision.
-
to cause, affect, or control; fix or decide causally.
Demand for a product usually determines supply.
- Synonyms:
- influence
-
to give direction or tendency to; impel.
-
Geometry. to fix the position of.
-
Logic. to limit (a notion) by adding differentiating characteristics.
-
Chiefly Law. to put an end to; terminate.
-
to lead or bring (a person) to a decision.
-
to decide upon.
verb (used without object)
-
to come to a decision or resolution; decide.
-
Chiefly Law. to come to an end.
verb
-
to settle or decide (an argument, question, etc) conclusively, as by referring to an authority
-
(tr) to ascertain or conclude, esp after observation or consideration
-
(tr) to shape or influence; give direction to
experience often determines ability
-
(tr) to fix in scope, extent, variety, etc
the river determined the edge of the property
-
to make or cause to make a decision
he determined never to marry
-
(tr) logic to define or limit (a notion) by adding or requiring certain features or characteristics
-
(tr) geometry to fix or specify the position, form, or configuration of
two points determine a line
-
law to come or bring to an end, as an estate or interest in land
-
(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
-
quasi-determineverb
-
redetermineverb
-
interdetermineverb (used with object)
-
undeterminingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
determinesimple
-
determinessimple
-
have determinedperfect
-
has determinedperfect
-
am determiningprogressive
-
are determiningprogressive
-
is determiningprogressive
-
have been determiningperfect progressive
-
has been determiningperfect progressive
Past
-
determinedsimple
-
had determinedperfect
-
was determiningprogressive
-
were determiningprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary of the Common Core
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But modern front offices, armed with mountains of data, are increasingly comfortable constructing a roster without an established closer, instead relying on matchups to determine pitching assignments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yusuf remains in custody, and investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of his alleged operation and whether others were involved.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Because the experiments were conducted in mice, additional research will be necessary to determine how closely the findings apply to humans.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
Simpson started only 15 games for Alabama, but the Rams apparently saw enough to determine he was worthy of using their highest pick since selecting quarterback Jared Goff No. 1 overall in 2016.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Exactly where Washington fit in this horrific picture is difficult to determine.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
But the NFL could still take action if it determines one or both violated the league’s personal-conduct policy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
If the IRS determines a prohibited transaction occurred, it could invalidate the IRA, resulting in extremely unfavorable tax consequences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The study does not show that finger length directly determines brain size.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Other sensitive topics are what role it determines carbon capture technology can play in businesses or whether they can acquire carbon credits from programmes outside the EU that would be counted towards their emissions reductions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Dobzhansky could now restate the essential truth of Mendel’s discovery—a gene determines a physical feature—by generalizing that idea across multiple genes and multiple features: a genotype determines a phenotype.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Alonso described Joao Pedro as "very, very hungry" and "determined to have a great season".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Experts still haven’t determined what’s causing the eagle’s troubling symptoms, including kidney inflammation and severe anemia.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“She is looking for where the wave is going and is determined to ride it,” they said.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Regret becomes unproductive when it turns into repetitive rumination, harsh self-judgment or the belief that the past has permanently determined the future,” she says.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
She sounded determined, and Tom was so surprised that he actually said yes.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Yet determining exactly when many of these images were created has remained extremely difficult.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
"The court took into account the sharp rise in the value of the defendant's shareholdings when determining the property division ratio," Friday's court statement said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
And though a film’s contextual significance is an important part of determining what is and isn’t a timeless movie, applicability isn’t everything, either.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
In determining which races feature, F1 weighs a number of different factors.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet’s visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
