determinate

adjective

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de·ter·mi·nate | \ 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 botany : characterized by sequential flowering from the central or uppermost bud to the lateral or basal (see basal sense 1b) 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 sense 4

5 biology : relating to, being, or undergoing egg cleavage (see cleavage sense 3) in which each division irreversibly separates portions of the zygote with specific potencies for further development

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Examples of determinate in a Sentence

a determinate period of time a determinate order of succession to the throne

Recent Examples on the Web Second, explanations should be determinate, meaning that there is one set explanation that accounts for all or most of something. — Joseph Franklin, Scientific American, 11 June 2018 Florida Weave Used commercially for determinate varieties, this training technique supports tomatoes with twine woven horizontally between rows of stakes. — Doug Hall, Good Housekeeping, 19 July 2018 On a truly determinate tomato, flowers occur at the ends of branches and will all be about the same size at the same time. — Walter Reeves, ajc, 13 June 2018 This is because nature is not simple and determinate. — Joseph Franklin, Scientific American, 11 June 2018 Some of the Early Girl varieties are indeterminate (that is, growing tall and needing a cage or stake), but most of the other earlies are determinate (low-growing and potentially sprawling). — Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 10 Jan. 2018 Soon the court will have a chance to make a determinate decision on the Blaine amendments. — Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, 26 June 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'determinate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.