determined
Americanadjective
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resolute; staunch.
the determined defenders of the Alamo.
- Synonyms:
- unfaltering, inflexible
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decided; settled; resolved.
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Grammar. (of a phonetic feature) predictable from its surrounding context.
adjective
Usage
What does determined mean? Determined means firmly set in one’s decision or course of action, especially with the aim of achieving a particular goal. Someone who’s determined to do something is extremely motivated and unlikely to quit or change their mind. Someone who’s determined in general has a very strong desire to achieve their goals. Someone who’s determined in this way is said to be showing determination—the quality of being firm in one’s purpose. Determined is also the past tense form of the verb determine, meaning to decide or settle in an authoritative way or conclude after observation. The term undetermined uses this sense of the word. Something that’s undetermined has not been conclusively decided or settled. (It’s not used to describe someone who’s not particularly motivated.)Example: I am absolutely determined to finish this race, even if I have to crawl across the finish line.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of determined
Explanation
Olympic athletes are some of the most determined people you're going to meet. At that level, they've got to be driven to succeed. Otherwise, their opponents will surely beat them. If you want to reach your goal, you must be determined to do so. To be determined is to be motivated, driven, or really focused on the task at hand — and that can be something as big as winning a prize or as small as fixing a squeaky door. No matter the task, the folks who get the job done are almost always the most determined. Determined can also mean "decided." For instance, a judge can determine what the sentence will be. If that sentence is predetermined, then it's already been decided.
Vocabulary lists containing determined
Number the Stars
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List 4
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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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.
An attempt to locate the wreckage in 2024 was abandoned due to poor weather - but Matthews said his team had been determined to return before the 75th anniversary of the crash.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Investigators soon determined that the Tesla was registered to David Anthony Burke, 21, a singer who performs under the stage name D4vd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The study also emphasizes the importance of the local volume element determined by the physical spacetime metric.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
It is probably more unified and determined than at any time since Saddam Hussein invaded in 1980.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
So I just sat there, mad all over, hating monkeys, and more determined than ever to catch every last one of them if it took me until Gabriel blew his horn.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
