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determinative

[dih-tur-muh-ney-tiv, -nuh-tiv] / dɪˈtɜr məˌneɪ tɪv, -nə tɪv /


Example Sentences

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But voting rights and legal form aren’t determinative for these purposes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025

“The Board’s review may not capture everyone impacted by this, as it is not entirely clear how the Board is deciding that false positives were determinative of a parole decision,” Baker said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2025

Going into arguments, the determinative question was whether Gorsuch would apply his reasoning in Bostock to this case.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024

Historically, the Iowa caucuses have been interesting, if not determinative, kickoffs for nominating contests, cutting down front-runners and elevating little-known contenders.

From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2024

The resulting ambiguity was resolved by the addition of a silent sign called a determinative, to indicate the category of nouns to which the intended object belonged.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond




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