determinate

de·ter·mi·nate

adjective \di-ˈtər-mə-nət\

Definition of DETERMINATE

1

: having defined limits <a determinate period of time>

2

: definitely settled <a determinate order of precedence>

3

: conclusively determined : definitive <a determinate answer>

4

: characterized by sequential flowering from the central or uppermost bud to the lateral or basal buds; also : characterized by growth in which the main stem ends in an inflorescence and stops growing with only branches from the main stem having further and similarly restricted growth <determinate tomato plants> — compare indeterminate 4

5

: relating to, being, or undergoing egg cleavage in which each division irreversibly separates portions of the zygote with specific potencies for further development

— de·ter·mi·nate·ly adverb

— de·ter·mi·nate·ness noun

Examples of DETERMINATE

1. a determinate period of time
2. <a determinate order of succession to the throne>

Origin of DETERMINATE

Middle English, from Latin determinatus, past participle of determinare

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DETERMINATE

Synonyms

certain, fixed, final, firm, flat, frozen, hard, hard-and-fast, inexpugnable, set, settled, stable

Antonyms

boundless, dimensionless, endless, illimitable, immeasurable, indefinite, infinite, limitless, measureless, unbounded, undefined, unlimited, unmeasured

Related Words

nonadjustable, noncancelable, nonnegotiable, unchangeable; constant, steady, unchanging, uniform, unwavering; definite, exact, explicit, specific; given, stated, stipulated; dependable, good, reliable, responsible, safe, solid, sure, tried, tried-and-true, true, trustworthy, trusty

Near Antonyms

adjustable, changeable, negotiable; indefinite, open-ended, unspecified; capricious, changeful, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, unsteady, variable, volatile

de·ter·mi·nate

adjective \di-ˈtərm-(ə-)nət\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of DETERMINATE

: relating to, being, or undergoing determinate cleavage <a determinate egg>