determiner

noun

de·ter·min·er | \ di-ˈtər-mə-nər

Definition of determiner

: one that determines: such as

a : gene

b : a word (such as an article, possessive, demonstrative, or quantifier) that makes specific the denotation of a noun phrase

Examples of determiner in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Get sloppy with that round, orange determiner of bracket futures and suffer the consequences. — Bryce Miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Costly turnovers create NCAA-bruising hole in Aztecs' loss to Cougars," 16 Mar. 2018 Chicago officials told the newspaper the risk score helped guide offers for help, but was not the sole determiner. — NOLA.com, "How a tech firm brought data and worry to New Orleans crime fighting," 1 Mar. 2018 Egg donor cycles are the most successful form of ART because age is the largest determiner of pregnancy rates. — Sarah Kowalski, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Misleading Promise of IVF for Women Over 40," 21 Feb. 2018 Like so much of what’s called ambition, privilege is often the real determiner. — Jen Gann, The Cut, "Breastfeeding Is for Overachievers," 7 Aug. 2017 Whereas Sissoko, 27, is also said to be keen on a move to the Hawthorns, with the prospect of weekly first team football being the obvious determiner for the attacker. — SI.com, "West Brom Ready to Make a Move for Spurs' Winger Moussa Sissoko in Bid to Save Premier League Career," 21 July 2017 However, it's surfaced that Eddie Howe's outfit are the frontrunners in the race for the 20-year-old's services, with top-flight football at the Vitality Stadium presumably being a tantalising determiner. — SI.com, "AFC Bournemouth Close in On Blackburn Rovers' 20-Year-Old Winger Connor Mahoney," 19 July 2017 Because all plants get their food from the sun through the process of photosynthesis, the amount of shade is a large determiner on who will survive. — Jefferson County Cooperative Extension, AL.com, "Life (and death) of our trees (Garden Talk)," 18 May 2017

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

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Last Updated

23 Apr 2019

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Time Traveler for determiner

The first known use of determiner was circa 1530

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More Definitions for determiner

determiner

noun

English Language Learners Definition of determiner

grammar : a word (such as "a," "the," "some," "any," "my," or "your") that comes before a noun and is used to show which thing is being referred to

See the full definition for determiner in the English Language Learners Dictionary

determiner

noun

de·ter·min·er | \ di-ˈtər-mə-nər

Kids Definition of determiner

: a word belonging to a group of noun modifiers that can occur before descriptive adjectives modifying the same noun “The” in “the red house” is a determiner.