determine

UK/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/US/dɪˈtɝmɪn/

verbB22 meanings Common in everyday speech and writing · #2,751 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: determined, determining, determines

To determine something is to work it out or decide it for certain. No more doubt afterwards.

There are two related senses that pull slightly apart. One is finding out, so an inquiry determines the cause of a fire. The other is deciding or controlling, so genes determine eye colour and a committee determines policy. Both mean the matter is settled. The adjective determined describes a person who will not give up, and determination is that quality. Predetermined means settled in advance.

Definitions of determine

1verbestablishTo establish something exactly, after investigation.B2
“Tests will determine what caused the failure.”
2verbdetermineTo decide or control the outcome of something.B1
“Where you are born still largely determines how long you live.”

Also practised as

verbTo settle or work out something for certain.

Where it comes from

To determine is to set the limits. Latin determinō is built on terminus, a boundary, so deciding a question is fencing it in until it stops moving.

Latin
determino — to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine
Old French
determiner
Middle English
determinen
English, today
determine

Built from

termino · Latin — to limit
terminus · Latin — bound, limit, end

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

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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