DETERMINE

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(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does determine mean? 

• DETERMINE (verb)
  The verb DETERMINE has 8 senses:

1. establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

2. shape or influence; give direction to

3. fix conclusively or authoritatively

4. decide upon or fix definitely

5. reach, make, or come to a decision about something

6. fix in scope; fix the boundaries of

7. settle conclusively; come to terms

8. find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort

  Familiarity information: DETERMINE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DETERMINE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they determine    ... he / she / it determines   
Past simple: determined   
Past participle: determined   
-ing form: determining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

ascertain; determine; find; find out

Context example:

The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize

Verb group:

ascertain; check; determine; find out; learn; see; watch (find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort)

discover; find (make a discovery, make a new finding)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

rectify (math: determine the length of)

locate; situate (determine or indicate the place, site, or limits of, as if by an instrument or by a survey)

admeasure (determine the quantity of someone's share)

count; enumerate; number; numerate (determine the number or amount of)

refract (determine the refracting power of (a lens))

sequence (determine the order of constituents in)

redetermine (fix, find, or establish again)

translate (determine the amino-acid sequence of a protein during its synthesis by using information on the messenger RNA)

gauge (determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s whether INFINITIVE

Derivation:

determination (the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation)

determination (the act of making up your mind about something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Shape or influence; give direction to

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

determine; influence; mold; regulate; shape

Context example:

mold public opinion

Hypernyms (to "determine" is one way to...):

cause; do; make (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

predetermine (determine beforehand)

pace (regulate or set the pace of)

index (adjust through indexation)

time (set the speed, duration, or execution of)

decide (influence or determine)

carry weight (have influence to a specified degree)

miscreate (shape or form or make badly)

disincline; indispose (make unwilling)

dispose; incline (make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief)

reshape (shape anew or differently)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s something
Somebody ----s whether INFINITIVE

Derivation:

determinant (a determining or causal element or factor)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fix conclusively or authoritatively

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

determine; set

Context example:

set the rules

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

charge (set or ask for a certain price)

price (determine the price of)

assess; tax (set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine))

initialise; initialize (assign an initial value to a computer program)

format (determine the arrangement of (data) for storage and display (in computer science))

filiate (fix the paternity of)

value (fix or determine the value of; assign a value to)

date (assign a date to; determine the (probable) date of)

identify; place (recognize as being; establish the identity of someone or something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

determination (the act of making up your mind about something)

determination (a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Decide upon or fix definitely

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

define; determine; fix; limit; set; specify

Context example:

specify the parameters

Hypernyms (to "determine" is one way to...):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

quantify (use as a quantifier)

name (mention and identify by name)

reset (set anew)

define (give a definition for the meaning of a word)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

determinant (having the power or quality of deciding)

determiner (a determining or causal element or factor)

determiner (one of a limited class of noun modifiers that determine the referents of noun phrases)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Reach, make, or come to a decision about something

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

decide; determine; make up one's mind

Context example:

We finally decided after lengthy deliberations

"Determine" entails doing...:

debate; deliberate (discuss the pros and cons of an issue)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

choose; pick out; select; take (pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives)

measure; measure out; mensurate (determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of)

govern; order; regularise; regularize; regulate (bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations)

adjudicate; judge; try (put on trial or hear a case and sit as the judge at the trial of)

orient; orientate (determine one's position with reference to another point)

purpose; resolve (reach a decision)

seal (decide irrevocably)

will (determine by choice)

decree; rule (decide with authority)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s whether INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They determine to move

Derivation:

determinant (having the power or quality of deciding)

determination (the act of making up your mind about something)

determination (a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Fix in scope; fix the boundaries of

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Context example:

the tree determines the border of the property

Hypernyms (to "determine" is one way to...):

define; delimit; delimitate; delineate; specify (determine the essential quality of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

nail down; narrow; narrow down; peg down; pin down; specify (define clearly)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

determination (the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Settle conclusively; come to terms

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

determine; settle; square off; square up

Context example:

We finally settled the argument

Hypernyms (to "determine" is one way to...):

conclude; resolve (reach a conclusion after a discussion or deliberation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

clear; solve (settle, as of a debt)

concert (settle by agreement)

clinch (settle conclusively)

compromise (settle by concession)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

determination (the act of making up your mind about something)

determination (a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration)

determiner (an argument that is conclusive)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

ascertain; check; determine; find out; learn; see; watch

Context example:

Check whether the train leaves on time

Verb group:

ascertain; assure; check; control; ensure; insure; see; see to it (be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something)

ascertain; determine; find; find out (establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "determine"):

test (determine the presence or properties of (a substance))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s whether INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They determine whether there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

determination (the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation)

 Context examples 

If she were ill-used, then at any risks I was determined to go back to her assistance.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

After that I determined to lie in wait, so I got out my revolver and I sat up in my study, which overlooks the lawn and garden.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was no sounding such a spirit, no measuring, no determining of metes and bounds, nor neatly classifying in some pigeon-hole with others of similar type.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The matter seemed preying on his mind, and so I determined to use it—to "be cruel only to be kind."

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"The dog doesn't go," Walt announced in a determined voice. "So there is no need of further discussion."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I determined therefore to direct my course this way, in order to my return to Europe.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

You seem to be determined to get your finances organized now so that you won’t have to think about them later.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Poor as he was, and determined to rise as he was, he nevertheless hired one servant to take the heavy work off of Marian's hands.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Tingling with anger, I rushed down and hurried across, determined to end the matter once and forever.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Amy bridled up at this insult, and determined to find out the secret, if she teased for an hour.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)