predetermine

verb

pre·​de·​ter·​mine ˌprē-di-ˈtər-mən How to pronounce predetermine (audio)
predetermined; predetermining; predetermines

transitive verb

1
b
: to determine beforehand
2
: to impose a direction or tendency on beforehand

Examples of predetermine in a Sentence

The sex of the child is predetermined when the egg is fertilized. religious sects that believe that an individual's salvation has been predetermined by God
Recent Examples on the Web More gracefully and graciously, it could be described as avos, a word for the Russian attitude of ignoring the possibility of negative outcomes, with the belief that luck predetermines the result anyway. Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024 The West’s twentieth-century economic success was not predetermined. Liaquat Ahamed, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022 While caterpillars metamorphosing into butterflies, or tadpoles evolving into frogs, may be familiar developmental transformations, there are few instances where organisms change in ways that are not predetermined. Peter A Noble, Discover Magazine, 14 Sep. 2024 Its narrative proves less insightful, however: too wary to crack into its protagonist’s troubled psyche, softening the film’s worthwhile political anxieties into sympathetic messaging that seems ho-hum and predetermined. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for predetermine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'predetermine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin praedeterminare, from Latin prae- + determinare to determine

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of predetermine was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near predetermine

Cite this Entry

“Predetermine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predetermine. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

predetermine

verb
pre·​de·​ter·​mine ˌprēd-i-ˈtər-mən How to pronounce predetermine (audio)
1
2
: to decide or settle beforehand
meet at a predetermined place
predetermination
-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on predetermine

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