Adjacent Words

Determine definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DETERMINE, v.t. [L., to bound; a boundary or limit. Gr. See Term.]
1. To end; particularly, to end by the decision or conclusion of a cause, or of a doubtful or controverted point; applicable to the decisions of the mind, or to judicial decisions. We say, I had determined this question in my own mind; the court has determined the cause.
2. To end and fix; to settle ultimately; as, this event determined his fate.
3. To fix on; to settle or establish; as, to determine the proper season for planting seeds.
God--hath determined the times before appointed. Acts 17.
4. To end; to limit; to bound; to confine. Yonder hill determines our view. Knowledge is determined by the sight.
5. To give a direction to; to influence the choice; that is, to limit to a particular purpose or direction; as, this circumstance determined him to the study of law. Also, to give a direction to material bodies in their course; as, impulse may determine a moving body to this or that point.
6. To resolve, that is, to end or settle a point in the mind, as in Definition first.
I determined this with myself. 2 Corinthians 2.
Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus. Acts 20.
7. To destroy. [Not used.]
8. To put an end to; as, to determine a will.
9. To settle or ascertain, as something uncertain.
The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God.
DETERMINE, v.i.
1. To resolve; to conclude; to come to a decision.
He shall pay as the judges determine. Exodus 21.
It is indifferent how the learned shall determine concerning this matter.
2. To end; to terminate. The danger determined by the death of the conspirators. Revolutions often determine in setting up tyranny at home, or in conquest from abroad.
Some estates may determine, on future contingencies.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; "find the product of two numbers"; "The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize" [syn: determine, find, find out, ascertain]
2: shape or influence; give direction to; "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion" [syn: determine, shape, mold, influence, regulate]
3: fix conclusively or authoritatively; "set the rules" [syn: determine, set]
4: decide upon or fix definitely; "fix the variables"; "specify the parameters" [syn: specify, set, determine, define, fix, limit]
5: reach, make, or come to a decision about something; "We finally decided after lengthy deliberations" [syn: decide, make up one's mind, determine]
6: fix in scope; fix the boundaries of; "the tree determines the border of the property"
7: settle conclusively; come to terms; "We finally settled the argument" [syn: settle, square off, square up, determine]
8: find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; "I want to see whether she speaks French"; "See whether it works"; "find out if he speaks Russian"; "Check whether the train leaves on time" [syn: determine, check, find out, see, ascertain, watch, learn]

Merriam Webster's

verb (determined; determining) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French determiner, from Latin determinare, from de- + terminare to limit, from terminus boundary, limit — more at term Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to fix conclusively or authoritatively <determine national policy> b. 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 determineed to do better> 2. a. to fix the form, position, or character of beforehand ; ordain <two points determine a straight line> 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. to bring about the determination of <determine the fate of a cell> intransitive verb 1. to come to a decision 2. to come to an end or become void Synonyms: see decide, discover

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. find out or establish precisely (have to determine the extent of the problem). 2 tr. decide or settle (determined who should go). 3 tr. be a decisive factor in regard to (demand determines supply). 4 intr. & tr. make or cause (a person) to make a decision (we determined to go at once; what determined you to do it?). 5 tr. & intr. esp. Law bring or come to an end. 6 tr. Geom. fix or define the position of. Phrases and idioms: be determined be resolved (was determined not to give up). Derivatives: determinable adj. Etymology: ME f. OF determiner f. L determinare (as DE-, terminus end)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Determine De*ter"mine, v. i. 1. To come to an end; to end; to terminate. [Obs.] He who has vented a pernicious doctrine or published an ill book must know that his life determine not together. --South. Estates may determine on future contingencies. --Blackstone. 2. To come to a decision; to decide; to resolve; -- often with on. ``Determine on some course.'' --Shak. He shall pay as the judges determine. --Ex. xxi. 22.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Determine De*ter"mine, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Determined; p. pr. & vb. n. Determining.] [F. d['e]terminer, L. determinare, determinatum; de + terminare limit, terminus limit. See Term.] 1. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. [God] hath determined the times before appointed. --Acts xvii. 26. 2. To set bounds to; to fix the determination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to an end; to finish. The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight. --Bacon. Now, where is he that will not stay so long Till his friend sickness hath determined me? --Shak. 3. To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle. The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God. --J. Edwards. Something divinely beautiful . . . that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life. --W. Black. 4. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; -- with a remoter object preceded by to; as, another's will determined me to this course. 5. To ascertain definitely; to find out the specific character or name of; to assign to its true place in a system; as, to determine an unknown or a newly discovered plant or its name. 6. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide; as, the court has determined the cause. 7. To resolve on; to have a fixed intention of; also, to cause to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead; as, this determined him to go immediately. 8. (Logic) To define or limit by adding a differentia. 9. (Physical Sciences) To ascertain the presence, quantity, or amount of; as, to determine the parallax; to determine the salt in sea water.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(determines, determining, determined) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If a particular factor determines the nature of a thing or event, it causes it to be of a particular kind. (FORMAL) The size of the chicken pieces will determine the cooking time... What determines whether you are a career success or a failure? = dictate VERB: V n, V wh • determination ...the gene which is responsible for male sex determination. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 2. To determine a fact means to discover it as a result of investigation. (FORMAL) The investigation will determine what really happened... Testing needs to be done to determine the long-term effects on humans... Science has determined that the risk is very small. = identify VERB: V wh, V n, V that 3. If you determine something, you decide it or settle it. The Baltic people have a right to determine their own future... My aim was first of all to determine what I should do next. VERB: V n, V wh, also V that, V wh to-inf • determination (determinations) We must take into our own hands the determination of our future. N-COUNT: usu sing, usu the N of n 4. If you determine to do something, you make a firm decision to do it. (FORMAL) He determined to rescue his two countrymen... I determined that I would ask him outright. VERB: V to-inf, V that

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

de-tur'-min:

(1) "To resolve," "decide." This is the primary meaning of the word and it is also the one that is the most common. In the New Testament the Greek word krino, is translated "determine," and it has the above meaning (Ac 20:16; 25:25; 1Co 2:2). The word occurs frequently in the Old Testament with this meaning (see Ex 21:22; 1Sa 20:7,9,33).

(2) "To decree," "ordain," "mark out." The Greek word that is rendered "determine" with this meaning is horizo. See DETERMINATE.

The Hebrew term charats is translated "determine" with the above meaning; as "his days are determined" (Job 14:5); "a destruction is determined" (Isa 10:22); "desolations are determined" (Da 9:26). The Hebrew term mishpaT, which means "judgment" or "sentence," is translated "determination" in Ze 3:8.

A. W. Fortune.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Settle, decide, adjust, conclude, end, fix. 2. Ascertain, certify, verify, find out, make out, fix upon. 3. Influence, lead, induce, incline, turn, give direction to. 4. Resolve, decide, make the resolution or decision. 5. (Law.) Bring to an end, put an end to, cause to terminate. 6. (Log.) Define, condition, limit, give marks or qualifications or predicates. 7. Necessitate, compel, subject to unyielding conditions. II. v. n. 1. Conclude, decide, resolve. 2. Cease, end, come to an end.

Moby Thesaurus

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