determine

American  

[dih-tur-min] / dɪˈtɜr mɪn /

verb (used with object)

• determines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• determined,
  past participle,  past
• determining
  present participle

1. to conclude or ascertain, as after reasoning, observation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   verify

2. to settle or decide (a dispute, question, etc.) by an authoritative or conclusive decision.

   Synonyms:

   adjust, resolve

3. to cause, affect, or control; fix or decide causally.

   Demand for a product usually determines supply.

   Synonyms:

   influence

4. to give direction or tendency to; impel.

   Synonyms:

   incline, lead, induce

5. Geometry. to fix the position of.

6. Logic. to limit (a notion) by adding differentiating characteristics.

7. Chiefly Law. to put an end to; terminate.

8. to lead or bring (a person) to a decision.

9. to decide upon.

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verb (used without object)

• determines,
  present (3rd person singular)
• determined,
  past participle,  past
• determining
  present participle

1. to come to a decision or resolution; decide.

2. Chiefly Law. to come to an end.

determine British  

/ dɪˈtɜːmɪn /

verb

1. to settle or decide (an argument, question, etc) conclusively, as by referring to an authority

2. (tr) to ascertain or conclude, esp after observation or consideration

3. (tr) to shape or influence; give direction to

   experience often determines ability

4. (tr) to fix in scope, extent, variety, etc

   the river determined the edge of the property

5. to make or cause to make a decision

   he determined never to marry

6. (tr) logic to define or limit (a notion) by adding or requiring certain features or characteristics

7. (tr) geometry to fix or specify the position, form, or configuration of

   two points determine a line

8. law to come or bring to an end, as an estate or interest in land

9. (tr) to decide (a legal action or dispute)

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determine Idioms  

1. see bound and determined.

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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-determine
  verb
• redetermine
  verb
• interdetermine
  verb (used with object)
• undetermining
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• determining
  present
• determined
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• determine
  simple
• determines
  simple
• have determined
  perfect
• has determined
  perfect
• am determining
  progressive
• are determining
  progressive
• is determining
  progressive
• have been determining
  perfect progressive
• has been determining
  perfect progressive

Past

• determined
  simple
• had determined
  perfect
• was determining
  progressive
• were determining
  progressive
• had been determining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will determine
  simple
• will have determined
  perfect
• will be determining
  progressive
• will have been determining
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

determine determines determined determining

For Mahony, it isn’t profit and loss that will determine DSI’s success, but the credibility it brings to Indonesia’s market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

"We will not allow any nation to determine our future," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Future studies will need to determine whether the immune benefits seen in mice can also be reproduced in humans.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

Spokesman Ryan Gustin said the facilities were valuated using independent appraisers and federal acquisition standards “to determine objective fair market value.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

It is a variation of the basic principle that if you know one angle and one side of an equilateral or right-angled triangle, then you can determine the other angles and sides.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The crackdown also comes amid questions over how Hegseth determines who gets access to Pentagon information.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

According to Ben Snider and his portfolio strategy research team, what determines stock market returns for this asset class at present are prospects for the AI trade.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

But as important is the emperor’s-new-clothes effect, which determines when it’s personally advantageous to ignore plainly obvious realities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

For cosmology, gravity determines how matter behaves across enormous distances.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026

Rank determines whom it can associate with and how; where and when it can eat; where it can rest; where it can drink; and so on.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

“I was told it wouldn’t work, but that just made me more determined to prove that a focused concept would work.”

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

The remaining shareholder return plan will be determined at its January board meeting, after 2026 results are confirmed, the company said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026

It must learn to be as determined and inventive as Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

With Iraola determined to have his wingers able to play on both sides, it remains to be seen if that experiment persists once Liverpool get more attackers in.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

But he’s been determined to make things work in Arizona.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

The team discovered that electrical charge is a key factor in determining whether antibody fragments can remain stable and functional inside cells.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026

Quinn Yeargain, a professor of the law of democracy at Michigan State University College of Law, said Median’s intent would be a decisive factor in determining whether any laws were broken.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Readers are fully capable of determining for themselves whether a work has value.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

There are many factors that go into determining how much of an impact eliminating the tax cap would have on the Social Security’s bottom line.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

After observing for a while and determining that they were harmless, I decided to go down to the river for a swim as well.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

Related Words

• ascertain
• check
• demonstrate
• detect
• establish
• figure out
• learn
• see
• tell
• verify
• work out