determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtər-mə-nənt 

1

: an element that identifies or determines the nature of something or that fixes or conditions an outcome

education level as a determinant of income

2

mathematics : a square array of numbers bordered on the left and right by a vertical line and having a value equal to the algebraic sum of all possible products where the number of factors in each product is the same as the number of rows or columns, each factor in a given product is taken from a different row and column, and the sign of a product is positive or negative depending upon whether the number of permutations necessary to place the indices representing each factor's position in its row or column in the order of the natural numbers is odd or even

3

genetics : gene

the determinant of the sickle-cell trait

4

biology : epitope

determinantal

di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnan-tᵊl 

adjective

Examples of determinant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This safety net extends beyond clinical care to include essential social programs — housing assistance, food programs like SNAP and energy assistance — that address the broader determinants of health, many of which face threatening cuts in their own right. —Jacob Murphy, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025

Your brand becomes the chief storyteller of your online presence and a key determinant of your reputational resilience. —Victoria Marshall, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

The company, which the firm rates overweight, offers robust tools that screen for social determinants of health. —Michelle Fox, CNBC, 26 May 2025

Turnitin did not respond to requests for comment for this article, but has said that its scores should not be used as the sole determinant of A.I. misuse. —Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

see determine

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing determinant

• antigenic determinant

Rhymes for determinant

• impermanent
• permanent
• semipermanent

Kids Definition

determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtərm-(ə-)nənt 

: something that determines or influences

Medical Definition

determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtərm-(ə-)nənt 

1

a

: a hypothetical aggregate of biophores conceived as comparable to the gene of more recent biological theory

b

: gene

2

: epitope