DETERMINE Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'determine' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of determine are decide , resolve , rule , and settle . While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something. // determined the cause of the problem

Q: When is it sensible to use 'decide' instead of 'determine'?

The words decide and determine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy. // she decided to sell her house

Q: When might 'resolve' be a better fit than 'determine'?

The synonyms resolve and determine are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something. // he resolved to quit smoking

Q: When would 'rule' be a good substitute for 'determine'?

The meanings of rule and determine largely overlap; however, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority. // the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

Q: When can 'settle' be used instead of 'determine'?

Although the words settle and determine have much in common, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty. // the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

determine

verb

di-ˈtər-mən

Definition of determine next

as in to decide

to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) a three-member panel will determine the case

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Relevance

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as in to choose

to come to a judgment about after discussion or consideration trying to determine which direction we were facing

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as in to find

to come upon after searching, study, or effort we failed to determine the answer to the riddle

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as in to conclude

to come to an end your participation in the savings plan determines with the termination of your employment here

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to settle

to make final, definite, or beyond dispute your choice of college could determine the rest of your life

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb determine differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of determine are decide, resolve, rule, and settle. While all these words mean "to come or cause to come to a conclusion," determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something.

determined the cause of the problem

When is it sensible to use decide instead of determine?

The words decide and determine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy.

she decided to sell her house

When might resolve be a better fit than determine?

The synonyms resolve and determine are sometimes interchangeable, but resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something.

he resolved to quit smoking

When would rule be a good substitute for determine?

The meanings of rule and determine largely overlap; however, rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority.

the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible

When can settle be used instead of determine?

Although the words settle and determine have much in common, settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty.

the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy

Examples of determine in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web History shows that business leaders’ actions have an outsized influence in determining the strength, vibrancy, and ultimately the fate of democracy. —

Ian Simmons, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Harris and Trump have spent the past few days hosting campaign rallies, completing interviews and sharing their final arguments in hopes of gaining the edge in a razor thin race set to be determined by battleground states and undecided voters. —

Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024 One survey conducted last year by Monmouth University found that two out of three Republicans believe voter fraud determined the results of the vote in 2020. —

Simon Shuster, TIME, 2 Nov. 2024 The maximum speed of your internet is determined by your ISP. —

Simon Hill, WIRED, 2 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for determine

Recent Examples of Synonyms for determine

Verb

These threats comes a day after Northwest High School decided to cancel Thursday's classes.

Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024
The race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is still extremely tight, and the election will likely be decided by who can win voters in seven key swing states: Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Definition of decide

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Style

“Determine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determine. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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Last Updated: 6 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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Synonyms of determine

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