determinant
Americannoun
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determinants
plural
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a determining agent or factor.
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Mathematics. an algebraic expression of the sum of products of elements, each with an appropriate algebraic sign, usually written in a square array and used in the solution of systems of linear equations.
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Also called antigenic determinant,. Also called epitope. Immunology. any site on an antigen molecule at which an antibody can bind, the chemical structure of the site determining the specific combining antibody.
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Genetics Archaic. a gene.
adjective
noun
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a factor, circumstance, etc, that influences or determines
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maths a square array of elements that represents the sum of certain products of these elements, used to solve simultaneous equations, in vector studies, etc Compare matrix
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of determinant
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin dēterminant- (stem of dētermināns ), present participle of dētermināre; see determine, -ant
Explanation
A determinant is a factor or cause that makes something happen or leads directly to a decision. The word determinant hasn't strayed much from its roots in the Latin word for "determining." As a noun or adjective, it refers to determining or deciding something. A snowstorm could be a determinant in school being canceled. Or a good health-care plan could be the determinant in someone taking a job. The determinant cause of a disease is responsible for the spread of the disease. Anything described as determinant is important.
Vocabulary lists containing determinant
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:
The other key determinant of the copper price in recent years has been the growing impact of geopolitics, deglobalization, disrupted supply chains and resource autonomy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
“The duration an individual, whether male or female, can maintain balance on one leg,” it concluded, “emerges as the most reliable determinant of aging, surpassing strength, gait, and other balance parameters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Jacobian conjecture states that when the Jacobian determinant is a non-zero constant, there should always exist another function, also made up of polynomials, that reverses the original one.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
A paycheck isn’t the only determinant of where Americans place themselves on the socioeconomic ladder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Culture to us seems the great determinant of how human beings conduct themselves; in the relentless academic debate between “nature and nurture,” it is the “nurture” school which commands greater support from the bystanders.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
And you can’t talk about health without addressing its broader social determinants: housing, food security and financial stability.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
Along with neighbouring Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent is the first Marmot council in Wales - this means it is committed to reducing health inequalities by addressing social determinants such as education, employment, and housing.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
The authors also stress that broader use of GLP-1 medications must account for social and commercial determinants of health, such as cost, insurance coverage, and overall access.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
UT Austin also educates medical professionals in “social determinants of health,” according to its website.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
It is clear by this that sex of rearing, rather than genetic determinants, plays a greater role in the establishment of gender identity.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
