determine
UK[dɪˈtɜːmɪn]US[dɪˈtɜːrmɪn]
v
to officially decide or settle something
v
to discover the facts or truth about something
v
to be the main cause or influence that fixes the nature of something
Morpheme Breakdown
de
termine
de
completely
termine
boundary, limit
Etymology
the word 'determine' originates from the latin verb 'determinare', which is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the noun 'terminus', meaning 'boundary' or 'limit'. the literal sense was 'to set boundaries to, to limit'. this concept evolved through old french 'determiner' into middle english, where the meaning broadened from physically marking an end point to the more abstract process of bringing something to a conclusive end or settlement. thus, the modern meanings of deciding, ascertaining, or causing something are logical extensions of the idea of fixing limits and bringing matters to a definitive conclusion.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + termine (boundary, limit)
de- (from latin, meaning 'completely, down from'); termine (from latin 'terminus', meaning 'boundary, limit, end')
Examples
a date for the meeting has yet to be determined.
the investigation will determine what caused the accident.
genes largely determine our physical characteristics.