determine

verb

de·​ter·​mine di-ˈtər-mən 

dē-

determined; determining

transitive verb

1

a

: to fix conclusively or authoritatively

determine national policy

b

law : to decide by judicial sentence

determine a plea

c

: to settle or decide by choice of alternatives or possibilities

trying to determine the best time to go

d

: resolve

she determined to do better

2

a

: to fix the form, position, or character of beforehand : ordain

two points determine a straight line

the extent to which genetics determines one's personality

b

: to bring about as a result : regulate

demand determines the price

3

a

: to fix the boundaries of

b

: to limit in extent or scope

c

: to put or set an end to : terminate

determine an estate

4

: to find out or come to a decision about by investigation, reasoning, or calculation

determine the answer to the problem

determine a position at sea

5

biology : to bring about the determination (see determination sense 7) of

determine the fate of a cell

intransitive verb

1

: to come to a decision

had determined on becoming a doctor

2

: to come to an end or become void

Synonyms

• adjudge
• adjudicate
• arbitrate
• decide
• judge
• referee
• rule (on)
• settle
• umpire

Choose the Right Synonym for determine

decide, determine, settle, rule, resolve mean to come or cause to come to a conclusion.

decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

discover, ascertain, determine, unearth, learn mean to find out what one did not previously know.

discover may apply to something requiring exploration or investigation or to a chance encounter.

discovered the source of the river

ascertain implies effort to find the facts or the truth proceeding from awareness of ignorance or uncertainty.

attempts to ascertain the population of the region

determine emphasizes the intent to establish the facts definitely or precisely.

unable to determine the origin of the word

unearth implies bringing to light something forgotten or hidden.

unearth old records

learn may imply acquiring knowledge with little effort or conscious intention (as by simply being told) or it may imply study and practice.

I learned her name only today

learning Greek

Examples of determine in a Sentence

The new policy will be determined by a special committee.

The demand for a product determines its price.

He believes that one's personality is determined mostly by genetics.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

They are unable to accurately determine the ship's position at this time.

Scholars have determined that the book was written in the late 16th century.

I am trying to determine what happened and when.

They are determining if they should stay.

They determined to leave immediately.

Recent Examples on the Web

However, Sullivan stressed that the key challenge now lies in determining how these groups will act to bring about meaningful change in the country. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a Hawaii man's appeal of his prosecution for carrying a handgun without a license, leaving untouched a state supreme court decision that castigated its new framework for determining whether gun laws comport with the Second Amendment. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 9 Dec. 2024

Biology and genetics often determine how elastic the skin may be, but the rate of weight loss seems to be important, too. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024

When outbreaks do occur, advanced technology helps experts determine what went wrong. —Allison Aubrey, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French determiner, from Latin determinare, from de- + terminare to limit, from terminus boundary, limit — more at term entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1ba

Kids Definition

determine

verb

de·​ter·​mine di-ˈtər-mən 

determined; determining

-ˈtərm-(ə-)niŋ

1

a

: to fix exactly or with authority

determine who will be president

b

: to have a strong influence on : govern

demand determines the price

2

: to find out or come to a decision

determine the answer to the problem

she determined to do better

3

: to be the cause of or reason for

a pupil's work determines his grade

Medical Definition

determine

transitive verb

de·​ter·​mine di-ˈtər-mən 

determined; determining -ˈtərm-(ə-)niŋ 

1

a

: to obtain definite information about with regard to quantity, character, magnitude, or location

determine the ionic concentration

determine the creatinine in blood serum

b

: to discover the taxonomic position or the generic and specific names of

2

: to bring about the determination of

determine the fate of a cell

Legal Definition

determine

transitive verb

de·​ter·​mine

determined; determining

: to make a determination regarding