determinate
/di'tə:minint/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having exact and definable limits; fixed and conclusive: Describes something that is precisely established, settled, or not open to further change or growth.
- In botany, of growth: Describes a pattern of growth that stops after a structure (like a flower or leaf) is fully formed, not continuing indefinitely.
Usage and Examples
- As an adjective meaning fixed or conclusive:
- The judge issued a determinate sentence of five years.
- We need a determinate answer before we can proceed with the project.
- As an adjective in botany/biology:
- Tomato plants exhibit determinate growth, meaning the stems end in a flower cluster.
Advanced Usage
- Legal/Judicial Context: Often used to describe a fixed prison sentence with a specific, non-negotiable length, as opposed to an indeterminate sentence.
- The new law mandates determinate sentencing for certain offenses.
- Philosophical/Scientific Context: Used to describe phenomena with a specific, predictable cause or a finite set of outcomes.
- The experiment was designed to measure the determinate relationship between temperature and pressure.
Variants and Related Words
- Determinateness (noun): The quality or state of being determinate.
- Determinately (adverb): In a determinate manner.
- Indeterminate (adjective): The direct antonym, meaning not fixed, vague, or continuing to grow.
Synonyms
- Definitive: Conclusive and authoritative.
- Fixed: Established and not subject to change.
- Settled: Resolved and not open to question.
- Precise: Sharply defined or exact.
Antonyms
- Indeterminate
- Unfixed
- Vague
- Inconclusive
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Determinate growth: A biological term for growth that ceases after reaching a certain size or forming a specific structure.
- Determinate sentence: A legal term for a prison term of a fixed duration.
Adjective
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supplying or being a final or conclusive settlement
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a definitive verdict
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a determinate answer to the problem
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not continuing to grow indefinitely at the apex
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determinate growth
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precisely determined or limited or defined; especially fixed by rule or by a specific and constant cause
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a determinate distance
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a determinate number
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determinate variations in animals
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