determine

determine
\ \ [14] The central meaning of determine is ‘fix a limit to’, as in ‘determine the scope of an enquiry’. It comes via Old French determiner from Latin dētermināre, a compound verb formed from the prefix - ‘off’ and terminārelimit’ (source of English terminate).
\ \ Its connotations of ‘firm resolve’, a 17th-century development, came via an intermediate sense ‘come to a firm decision on’.
\ \ Cf.TERMINATE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • déterminé — déterminé, ée [ detɛrmine ] adj. et n. m. • XIV e; de déterminer 1 ♦ Qui a été précisé, défini. ⇒ 2. arrêté, certain, 1. précis. « il faut une quantité déterminée de force pour soulever un poids déterminé » (Balzac). Un objectif bien déterminé.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • déterminé — déterminé, ée (dé tèr mi né, née) part. passé. 1°   Qui a reçu un caractère précis. Un genre de plantes déterminé par les botanistes. Quantité déterminée. Des idées déterminées. •   Les densités des mélanges alcooliques qui servent de base au… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • determine — de‧ter‧mine [dɪˈtɜːmn ǁ ɜːr ] verb [transitive] 1. to find out the facts about something: • Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident. • Experts have determined that the signature was forged. 2. to make an official… …   Financial and business terms

  • Determine — De*ter mine, v. i. 1. To come to an end; to end; to terminate. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] He who has vented a pernicious doctrine or published an ill book must know that his life determine not together. South. [1913 Webster] Estates may determine on… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Determine — De*ter mine, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Determined}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Determining}.] [F. d[ e]terminer, L. determinare, determinatum; de + terminare limit, terminus limit. See {Term}.] 1. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • determine — de·ter·mine vt mined, min·ing: to make a determination regarding Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. determine I …   Law dictionary

  • determiné — Determiné, [determin]ée. part. Il a les significations de son verbe. Il est aussi substantif, & se dit, d Un homme hardi, capable de tout. Il ne faut pas le fascher c est un determiné. c est un franc determiné un vray determiné. On dit d un… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • determine — [v1] conclude, decide actuate, arbitrate, call the shots*, cinch, clinch, complete, dispose, drive, end, figure, finish, fix upon, halt, impel, incline, induce, move, nail down*, opt, ordain, persuade, pin down*, predispose, regulate, resolve,… …   New thesaurus

  • determine — [dē tʉr′mən, ditʉr′mən] vt. determined, determining [ME determinen < OFr determiner < L determinare, to bound, limit < de , from + terminare, to set bounds < terminus, an end: see TERM2] 1. to set limits to; bound; define 2. to settle …   English World dictionary

  • determine — mid 14c., to come to an end, also to settle, decide (late 14c.), from O.Fr. determiner (12c.) or directly from L. determinare to enclose, bound, set limits to, from de off (see DE (Cf. de )) + terminare to mark the end or boundary, from terminus… …   Etymology dictionary

  • determine — 1 settle, rule, *decide, resolve Analogous words: fix, *set, establish: dispose, predispose, *incline, bias: drive, impel, *move, actuate: *induce, persuade 2 ascertain, * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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