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:
Coroners would determine the cause and manner of his death, the national park said.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In “The Quickening” Elizabeth Rush calls this river of ice “the biggest wild card” that will determine how sea-level rise will affect coastal communities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
Buckingham’s office is now surveying state tracts in the area and “conducting a thorough review of relevant titles and deeds to better determine the location and extent of any potential trespass,” she added.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
In response, Arcadia officials this month began what they say is a pioneering effort to determine how to protect local municipalities from influence by foreign governments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Trying to get their heads round the fact that this obscure contraption may determine the outcome of the war.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
“A5 Wagyu has more fat, which you see from the marbling inside. That’s what determines the highest grade.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
For cosmology, gravity determines how matter behaves across enormous distances.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
A firm opening date has not been set as the department determines what infrastructure needs to be repaired or built at the park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Your cost of living now likely determines your cost of living in retirement.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Why we do an action is what determines its quality. A quality action or not.”
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Previously, graduate students could borrow up to the full cost of attendance as determined by the school.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I was told it wouldn’t work, but that just made me more determined to prove that a focused concept would work.”
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Pennycook said the government was "absolutely determined to stick with that ambition".
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The disclosure quotes Title VI: No funding may be terminated “until the department or agency . . . has determined that compliance cannot be secured by voluntary means.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
How determined he was to train for this race.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Cohen’s office said in a statement that its bill “clarifies existing law and establishes a consistent, common-sense standard for determining whether an owner remains connected to a securities account.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
This ratio matters if you need to apply for another loan the following school year, because lenders consider it when determining applicants’ creditworthiness.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
The team discovered that electrical charge is a key factor in determining whether antibody fragments can remain stable and functional inside cells.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
Quinn Yeargain, a professor of the law of democracy at Michigan State University College of Law, said Median’s intent would be a decisive factor in determining whether any laws were broken.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
One of the first tasks assigned to the new technique was determining the age of the Clovis culture.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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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