determine
Usage
What are other ways to say determine?
To determine is to arrive at a conclusion after reasoning or observation: He determined that there was no available path to victory. To resolve is to show firmness of purpose: He resolved to ask for a promotion. To decide is to make up one's mind as to what shall be done and the way to do it: He decided to go today.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Coast Guard and other partners to evaluate recovery options and determine whether it can be recovered from the ocean floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Here’s a guide to determine which is best for you and which questions to ask along the way to secure the best rate and lowest overall mortgage costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Coming data are likely to determine where rates go from here.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
That added timing information could help the system determine more accurately where each photon came from and improve the reconstruction of particle tracks.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026
Jack says you can count the rings on their shells to determine their age, the same way you would count the growth rings in a tree’s trunk.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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Other sensitive topics are what role it determines carbon capture technology can play in businesses or whether they can acquire carbon credits from programmes outside the EU that would be counted towards their emissions reductions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
“We’ve built a model where access, not ability, determines who gets developed,” Bill Carter, a former sports agent who has worked with amateur athletes, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
They also quoted the financial expert Martin Lewis, who has highlighted that what students earn rather than what they borrow determines what they pay back each year.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Air Force determines where military aircraft end up after they are retired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
Rank determines whom it can associate with and how; where and when it can eat; where it can rest; where it can drink; and so on.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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You also have to qualify for membership in the credit union itself, which can be determined by where you live or work.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Richard Sloop is among them, but he’s been determined to find a way to make it work.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Instead, he seemed a good, flustered company man anxiously determined to be normal—like Dick Van Dyke, perhaps, or Bob Newhart—while remaining very funny indeed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Using Leah Mascia's reading of the text, Professor Adiego determined that the fragment comes from the "Catalogue of Ships" in Book II of Homer's Iliad.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
In one photo, a Black woman is holding a protest sign above her head with a determined look on her face.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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He adds that long-term and experimental research will be essential for determining whether animals are simply becoming accustomed to human activity or experiencing deeper evolutionary changes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
One project uses AI analysis of anonymised mobile phone data to spot mass-population movements during disasters, determining where people are fleeing, to help humanitarians better tailor their response.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
A standardized test score “shouldn’t be a sole factor” in determining access to UC, Napolitano said, but a renewed look at admissions could conclude it should be “a factor.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Many characteristics go into determining someone’s sex: chromosomes, reproductive organs, hormonal balances, secondary sex characteristics like breast tissue and body-hair distribution.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Supersonic aircraft and missiles were determining the course of the Cold War, but so too would “science textbooks and racial relations.”
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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Vocabulary lists containing determine
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Vocabulary of the Common Core
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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