determine

American  

[dih-tur-min] / dɪˈtɜr mɪn /

verb (used with object)

determined, determining

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)

determined, determining

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

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

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

Some lawmakers, seeming to recognize the risks of letting the vagaries of aging and health determine the country’s political fate, have opted to bow out.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

DeepSeek-V4 features an ultra-long context of one million tokens and 1.6 trillion parameters for the Pro version -- measures that determine how much input the model can absorb and its decision-making ability.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

The commission had a mandate to determine the root causes of the violence, who was involved and for what purpose.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Investigators could not even determine Hernandez’s eye color.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Much ink has been spilled by several generations of scholars in an effort to determine who wrote the bulk of the words that eventually found their way into print and then into the history books.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

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