Synonyms

determine

American

[dih-tur-min] / dɪˈtɜr mɪn /

verb (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.

Synonyms:

adjust, resolve
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.

Synonyms:

incline, lead, induce
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.

determine British

/ dɪˈtɜːmɪn /

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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

determine Idioms

see bound and determined.

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing determine

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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:

determine determines determined determining

Factory efficiency, pricing and vehicle mix, meaning the balance between cheaper and more expensive models, determine how much profit each sale brings in.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Malaysian authorities issued a final report in 2018 for the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crash, saying they couldn’t determine why the flight went off course and couldn’t rule out a hijacker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

However, the researchers emphasize that more work is needed to determine exactly how sugar produces the effect and whether dietary changes will improve outcomes in patients.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

Nobody pauses to determine whether everyone wants enough chips to justify them.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

“How can I? The science fair will do more to determine who wins the Excelsior Award than anything else this term!”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

So far this autumn, the jet stream - which determines what sort of air mass affects the UK - has been sitting to the north.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

But the company determines the behavior of each new version, and the military must keep up to date on the latest offerings, the Washington appeals court found.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

It determines the gravitational force between any two objects, whether those objects are two laboratory masses, a person and Earth, or two astronomical bodies separated by enormous distances.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026

Newsom appoints members to the foundation board, which determines what expenses to cover in the governor’s office.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

So the best answer we can give to our question depends on how high a particle energy we have at our disposal, because this determines on how small a length scale we can look.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Previously, grad students could borrow up to the full cost of attendance as determined by the school.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

Rahm's lawyer, John Beck, told the hearing the 31-year-old Spaniard "independently reviewed the terms of LIV 2.0 and determined those terms are unacceptable as to him".

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

The Russian health agency meanwhile said Wednesday that it had determined "there are no epidemic risks for the population".

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ian Howard was shocked to get a $1,000 bill for a brief visit to the emergency room that determined he sprained his ankle in a fall last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Bat closed Mr. Grayson’s laptop, absolutely determined to become the very best caretaker that a skunk had ever had.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

While determining there were no epidemic risks, Rospotrebnadzor said it had implemented a set of "anti-epidemic measures" as a precaution and in line with sanitary legislation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

Weather will be key to determining market tightness over the heating season.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Researchers at the Florida Museum have now conducted a study aimed at determining where the pottery came from and who made it.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

The task of determining which expenses fall on what side of the ledger would belong to the state attorney general.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Moore said the determining factor was not Volpe’s status but, in a sense, his popularity.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023