determine
Americanverb (used with object)
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determines,
present (3rd person singular)
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determined,
past participle, past
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determining
present participle
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to conclude or ascertain, as after reasoning, observation, etc.
- Synonyms:
- verify
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to settle or decide (a dispute, question, etc.) by an authoritative or conclusive decision.
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to cause, affect, or control; fix or decide causally.
Demand for a product usually determines supply.
- Synonyms:
- influence
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to give direction or tendency to; impel.
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Geometry. to fix the position of.
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Logic. to limit (a notion) by adding differentiating characteristics.
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Chiefly Law. to put an end to; terminate.
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to lead or bring (a person) to a decision.
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to decide upon.
verb (used without object)
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determines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
determined,
past participle, past
-
determining
present participle
-
to come to a decision or resolution; decide.
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Chiefly Law. to come to an end.
verb
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to settle or decide (an argument, question, etc) conclusively, as by referring to an authority
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(tr) to ascertain or conclude, esp after observation or consideration
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(tr) to shape or influence; give direction to
experience often determines ability
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(tr) to fix in scope, extent, variety, etc
the river determined the edge of the property
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to make or cause to make a decision
he determined never to marry
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(tr) logic to define or limit (a notion) by adding or requiring certain features or characteristics
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(tr) geometry to fix or specify the position, form, or configuration of
two points determine a line
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law to come or bring to an end, as an estate or interest in land
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(tr) to decide (a legal action or dispute)
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
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quasi-determineverb
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redetermineverb
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interdetermineverb (used with object)
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undeterminingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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determinesimple
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determinessimple
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have determinedperfect
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has determinedperfect
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am determiningprogressive
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are determiningprogressive
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is determiningprogressive
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have been determiningperfect progressive
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has been determiningperfect progressive
Past
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determinedsimple
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had determinedperfect
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was determiningprogressive
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were determiningprogressive
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had been determiningperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing determine
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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:
Larger studies involving multiple medical centers and longer observation periods could help determine how consistently hydrodissection works and whether its benefits continue beyond the initial follow-up period.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
But it was a Pyrrhic victory, for the court also ruled that the sole authority to determine apportionment belonged to the federal government, via the secretary of the Interior.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Tests could determine if he had died before or after he entered the water.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Today, Wall Street broadly agrees that artificial intelligence will determine the next five to 10 years.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
What they did recover was a bronze disc, which is still being studied to determine its function and whether it was part of the original Antikythera Mechanism.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
What’s more, the ongoing price shock in energy markets isn’t just about headline benchmark prices as the price of crude oil is only part of what determines the cost to supply the world with fuel.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
It also determines how broadly the technology can spread, keeping it affordable for startups and small businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Voter registration records are based on a person’s physical residential address, which determines the districts where they can vote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Known to physicists as big G, this fundamental number determines the strength of gravitational attraction throughout the universe.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Always remember, though, that it is the actual distance in half steps between the notes that determines the type of interval, not whether the notes are written as natural, sharp, or double-sharp.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
This donation, later determined to have actually been sent from the Republic of Congo, where Mildon has many business dealings, went to a Texas defense contractor.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026
"She is a determined person who will do her best, with our support and love, to recover. And that is what we hope for."
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Yet rather than being maudlin or depressing, the opera’s central thread is about taking responsibility, and the determined ghosts use their power to enter Lincoln, hear his thoughts, and push him—and Willie—forward into resolution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Known as the Fourier limit, this boundary is determined by the time required for a quantum emitter to release its energy into its surroundings.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
What it would take, they believed, was one more determined expedition.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Although those figures are important for determining Tesla’s financial health, there’s only one metric investors really care about right now, according to some experts, and that is capital expenditures.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
A string of poor results - most recently Sunday's 5-0 drubbing by Brighton - makes this week a crucial one in determining his future.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The big challenge in making CEMs work, Shashua said, was determining how to verify the code.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
So when, for instance, a federal agency like the Department of Veterans Affairs defines a medical term in determining which veterans get benefits, a court has limited discretion to second-guess that expert analysis.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2026
McKissick agreed to represent Thorpe, determining that her case marked an important test for the rights of public housing residents.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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