determinate

[ adjective dih-tur-muh-nit; verb dih-tur-muh-neyt ]
See synonyms for determinate on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. having defined limits; definite.

  2. settled; positive.

  1. conclusive; final.

  2. Botany. (of an inflorescence) having the primary and each secondary axis ending in a flower or bud, thus preventing further elongation.

  3. Engineering.

    • (of a structure) able to be analyzed completely by means of the principles of statics.

    • (of a member of a structure) subject only to definite, known stresses.

    • (of a stress) able to be determined through the principles of statics.

verb (used with object),de·ter·mi·nat·ed, de·ter·mi·nat·ing.
  1. to make certain of.

  2. to identify.

Origin of determinate

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin dēterminātus, past participle of dētermināre.See determine, -ate1

Other words from determinate

  • de·ter·mi·nate·ly, adverb
  • de·ter·mi·nate·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use determinate in a sentence

  • This advice the goddess very artfully and determinately carried out.

  • In every direction her frontier is determinately advanced, while thousands of strange people are submitting to her sway.

  • This time, however, it said to itself determinately: "The revolution shall not cheat us a third time."

  • "Naked truth, unglossed over," she pursued, bending her eyes determinately upon him.

    East Lynne | Mrs. Henry Wood
  • But I know you call not this a form of government, unless as determinately managed by one, many or most.

    A Christian Directory | Baxter Richard

British Dictionary definitions for determinate

determinate

/ (dɪˈtɜːmɪnɪt) /


adjective
  1. definitely limited, defined, or fixed; distinct

  2. a less common word for determined

    • able to be predicted or deduced

    • (of an effect) obeying the law of causality

  1. botany (of an inflorescence) having the main and branch stems ending in flowers and unable to grow further; cymose

  2. (of a structure, stress, etc) able to be fully analysed or determined

Derived forms of determinate

  • determinately, adverb
  • determinateness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for determinate

determinate

[ dĭ-tûrmə-nĭt ]


  1. Precisely determined, limited, or defined.

  2. Not continuing to grow at an apical meristem. In the cyme, a determinate inflorescence, for example, the first floret develops at the end of the meristem, and no further elongation of the inflorescence can occur.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.