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

King predicted that in the long-term, these digital currencies, which peg their value to a hard asset like the U.S. dollar, will be the single greatest determinant of ether’s future price fluctuations. —Charles Lloyd Bovaird Ii, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

That information includes the list of providers a patient sees; summaries of each encounter with those providers; and their social determinants of health such as housing, access to food and employment. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025

Despite decades of efforts to address healthcare inequities in the United States through programs and policies targeting social determinants of health, disparities persist across racial, gender, socioeconomic, and geographic lines. —Harvard Business Review, 3 July 2025

The powerhouse trio is on to something, because the longest study on happiness to date underscores how the strength of our relationships is the biggest determinant of our happiness at the end of our life. —Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 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