Dictionary

determine en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /dɪˈtɝmɪn/ (Canada, US)
• (UK) audio
• /ˌdɛ.təɹˈmɪn/ (Philippines)
• (US) audio
• (Canada) audio
• /dɛˈtəɹ.mɪn/ (Philippines)
• /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English determinen, from Old French determiner, French déterminer, from Latin determināre (“to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”), from de + termināre (“to limit”), from terminus (“bound, limit, end”).

Meanings

1. To set the boundaries or limits of.
   • The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight. 1844, Francis Bacon, The Works of Francis Bacon, Lord Chancellor of England:
   • [God] hath determined the times before appointed. 1611, Bible, KJV edition, Acts 17:26:
2. To ascertain definitely; to figure out, find out, or conclude by analyzing, calculating, or investigating.
   • Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless. 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
3. To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
   • something divinely beautiful […] that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life 1913, W. Black, 1913 Webster's Dictionary:
   • These dramas may appear purely internal but they are perhaps economically determined … when people think they are being so subtly inventive or creative they merely reflect society's general need for economic growth. 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 259:
   • The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God. 1741 July 8, Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God:
4. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to.
   • The news of his father's illness determined him to depart immediately.
5. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
   • The court has determined the cause.
6. To resolve (to do something); to establish a fixed intention; to cause (something) to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.
   • I determined to go home at once.
   • So in February, it was decided to lay up a good portion of the fleet, whose operational costs were astronomical, whilst they attempted to conduct peace negotiations, whilst simultaneously secretly trying to swing France over to the British side. But the Dutch, de Witt especially, were quite aware that Charles II was largely stalling for time, although they didn't quite know why, and determined to end the war, on their terms, in a single strike. 2019 April 24, Drachinifel, 7:23 from the start, in The Raid on the Medway - Grand Theft Warship, archived from the original on 26 Dec 2020:
7. To define or limit by adding a differentia.
8. (intransitive, qualifier:otherwise obsolete, transitive) To bring to an end, finish; to come to an end, stop, end.
   • If a lease is determined by notice, forfeiture or frustration, all incumbrances will normally end automatically with the determination of the lease and can therefore be ignored. 2021, HM Land Registry, Practice guide 26: leases – determination, archived from the original on 04 Oct 2021:
   • […] whose assemblies are continued […] for the space of seven moons, after which their authority determines, and writs are issued for new elections. 1728, Samuel Johnson, The State of Affairs in Lilliput:
   • Novv, vvhere is hee, that vvill not ſtay ſo long Till his Friend ſickneſſe hath determin'd me? c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii (5)], page 94, column 2:
   • The statutes for the general government of the new universities ... shall be made in the first instance ... by the Dublin Commissioners appointed under this Act, and ... by the Belfast Commissioners appointed under this Act, and, after the powers of these commissioners determine, by the governing bodies of the universities and colleges. 1908 August 1, UK Parliament, “Irish Universities Act, 1908”, in Irish Statute Book, § 4(1):

Forms

Deriveds

determination · redetermine · predetermine · determinize · undeterminable · determinant · determinicity · self-determine · undetermine · underdetermine · determinability · codetermine · misdetermine · determinise · overdetermine · determinable · determiner · determinative · determinist · determinism · deterministic · foredetermine · determinably

Synonyms

take a decision · make a decision · make a decision · judge · choose up · work out · judge · determine · find · make up one's mind · resolve · decide · posken · find

Translations (73)

eo decidi (to decide) · uk визнача́ти (to ascertain definitely) · ru определя́ть (to set the limits of) · nl bepalen (to ascertain definitely) · es determinar (to set the limits of) · th กำหนด (to set the limits of) · ja 決定する (to ascertain definitely) · cs určit (to set the limits of) · et selgitama (to ascertain definitely) · uk обме́жувати (to set the limits of) · is ákveða (to ascertain definitely) · mk опреде́лува (to set the limits of) · cmn 確定 /确定 (to set the limits of) · cmn 決定 /决定 (to set the limits of) · ja 決する (to set the limits of) · ja 定める (to ascertain definitely) · it determinare (to set the limits of) · bg опреде́лям (to set the limits of) · hi निर्धारण (to ascertain definitely) · uk встано́влювати (to set the limits of) · nl vaststellen (to set the limits of) · sv bestämma (to ascertain definitely) · ru устана́вливать (to set the limits of) · mk утврдува (to ascertain definitely) · is ákveða (to set the limits of) · it stabilire (to set the limits of) · sv avgöra (to ascertain definitely) · el καθορίζω (to set the limits of) · ru определи́ть (to ascertain definitely) · ja 定める (to set the limits of) · ca determinar (to set the limits of) · cmn 決定 /决定 (to ascertain definitely) · et määrama (to ascertain definitely) · cs určit (to ascertain definitely) · pl określać (to set the limits of) · ru определи́ть (to set the limits of) · et piiritlema (to set the limits of) · fi päättää (to set the limits of) · ja 決する (to ascertain definitely) · ja 決定する (to set the limits of) · fr déterminer (to ascertain definitely) · pt determinar (to set the limits of) · it verificare (to ascertain definitely) · it capire (to ascertain definitely) · bg установявам (to ascertain definitely) · pt determinar (to ascertain definitely) · mi whakatakoto whakaaro (to ascertain definitely) · gl determinar (to set the limits of) · fi ottaa selville (to ascertain definitely) · pl ustalać (to ascertain definitely) · de bestimmen (to set the limits of) · kw determya (to ascertain definitely) · es determinar (to ascertain definitely) · fr déterminer (to set the limits of) · de festlegen (to ascertain definitely) · mk одре́дува (to set the limits of) · de eingrenzen (to set the limits of) · fi ottaa selvää (to ascertain definitely) · kw determya (to set the limits of) · zza belı kerden (to set the limits of) · bg опреде́лям (to ascertain definitely) · eo determini (to set the limits of) · mk устано́вува (to ascertain definitely) · mk востано́вува (to ascertain definitely) · pl ustalić (to ascertain definitely) · ru определя́ть (to ascertain definitely) · la scīscō (to ascertain definitely) · it accertarsi (to ascertain definitely) · ru установи́ть (to set the limits of) · bg установя́вам (to set the limits of) · hi निर्धारण (to set the limits of) · fi määrittää (to ascertain definitely) · ca determinar (to ascertain definitely)