as in factor
formal
a thing that controls or influences what happens
—often + of
Level of education is often a determinant of income.
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Recent Examples of determinant
BloombergNEF’s most recent battery-price survey found that cell manufacturing is now the single biggest determinant of whether a vehicle can be profitably priced for the mass market.
—
Alex Hewitt, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Jan. 2026
Inflation remains the strongest determinant of long-term interest rates.
—Brendan Dyer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
In order to predict preeclampsia accurately and use these predictions to help doctors monitor, diagnose and treat the condition, my team needs to factor in other information that can illuminate these different outcomes, called social determinants of health.
—Jill Inderstrodt, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025
While voting in national and local elections has already been recognized as a social determinant of health—with voters generally thought to have better health profiles than non-voters—the link between electoral participation and death has not been established.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for determinant
Alex Hewitt, IEEE Spectrum, 6 Jan. 2026
Inflation remains the strongest determinant of long-term interest rates.
—Brendan Dyer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
In order to predict preeclampsia accurately and use these predictions to help doctors monitor, diagnose and treat the condition, my team needs to factor in other information that can illuminate these different outcomes, called social determinants of health.
—Jill Inderstrodt, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025
While voting in national and local elections has already been recognized as a social determinant of health—with voters generally thought to have better health profiles than non-voters—the link between electoral participation and death has not been established.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for determinant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determinant
Noun
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There’s one more factor that needs to be taken into account on the largest of cosmic scales, including for the cosmic measurements of the event horizon of the black hole at the center of galaxy Messier 87, and that is the expansion of the Universe.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
25 Feb. 2026
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Ongoing trend Ukraine and Russia aren't alone in experiencing declining fertility and birth rates — the trend can be seen in a variety of European and Asia countries — and the decreases can be down to several factors, from career and lifestyle choices to economic constraints.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The results on the pitch obviously will be and should be the club’s biggest consideration in deciding who is next, but the finances involved could prove a factor.—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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If someone has an allergy, take it into consideration when planning your menu.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Determinant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determinant. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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