Dictionary / determine
determine
- verb
- from Old French
To set the boundaries or limits of.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “determine” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
verb
- To set the boundaries or limits of.
[God] hath determined the times before appointed.1611, Bible, KJV edition, Acts 17:26:
- 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:
- 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.1741 July 8, Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God:
- 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.
- To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
The court has determined the cause.
- 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.
- To define or limit by adding a differentia.
- intransitivetransitiveTo bring to an end, finish; to come to an end, stop, end.
[…] 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:
Cross-check: WordNet senses (8)
- verbestablish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study — also: find, find out, ascertain
- verbshape or influence; give direction to — also: shape, mold, influence, regulate
- verbfix conclusively or authoritatively — also: set
- verbdecide upon or fix definitely — also: specify, set, define, fix, limit
- verbreach, make, or come to a decision about something — also: decide, make up one's mind
- verbfix in scope; fix the boundaries of
- verbsettle conclusively; come to terms — also: settle, square off, square up
- verbfind out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort — also: check, find out, see, ascertain, watch
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)determine
- Middle Englishdeterminen
- Old Frenchdeterminer
- Latindetermināre “to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”
- Latinde + termināre “to limit”
- Latinterminus “bound, limit, end”
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”).
Derivatives — words built from “determine”
Want to go deeper? See also “determine” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “determine” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
determine v. t. [F. d, L. determinare, determinatum; de + terminare limit, terminus limit. See Term.]
- To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate.
- To set bounds to; to fix the determination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to an end; to finish.
- To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
- 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.
determine v. i.
- To come to an end; to end; to terminate.
- To come to a decision; to decide; to resolve; -- often with on.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
verbMeaning: To set the boundaries or limits of.
[God] hath determined the times before appointed.1611, Bible, KJV edition, Acts 17:26:
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:
verbMeaning: 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:
verbMeaning: 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.1741 July 8, Jonathan Edwards, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God:
something divinely beautiful […] that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life1913, W. Black, 1913 Webster's Dictionary:
verbMeaning: 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.
It was this easy luxurious life that led men astray and lured them into the commission of those sins, especially the sins of wantonness and rapacity, which excited the wrath of God and determined him to destroy the sinners by a great flood.1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 143:
verbMeaning: To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
The court has determined the cause.
verbMeaning: 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.
verbMeaning: shape or influence; give direction to
experience often determines ability
verbMeaning: fix in scope; fix the boundaries of
the tree determines the border of the property
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
determine
/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
determine
/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/ · verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “determine” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“The news of his father's illness determined him to depart immediately.”
Circle the meaning used.
“The court has determined the cause.”
Circle the meaning used.
“I determined to go home at once.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “determine” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Latin terminus. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — determine
Which meaning, sentence 1: C. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to.
Which meaning, sentence 2: C. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
Which meaning, sentence 3: B. To resolve (to do something); to establish a fixed intention; to cause (something) to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.
Origin: A. Old French (Old French determiner)
Journey: English determine ← Middle English determinen ← Old French determiner ← Latin determināre ← Latin de + termināre ← Latin terminus
Some derivatives: codetermine, determinability, determinable, determinably, determinant, determination, determinative, determiner
Original meaning: Latin terminus — “bound, limit, end”
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”).
Sources: Wiktionary “determine” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/determine#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/determine