determinate

adjective

di-ˈtər-mə-nət How to pronounce determinate (audio)
Definition of determinatenext
1
as in certain
having been established and usually not subject to change a determinate order of succession to the throne

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in limited
having distinct or certain limits contestants have a determinate length of time to answer the questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of determinate Pruning is unnecessary because determinate tomatoes only grow to a certain height and then stop producing foliage. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 18 July 2026 Plants tend to grow taller than determinate types and are commonly pruned to maintain a single central stem. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 June 2026 Compassionate release emerged from the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, a statute better known for eliminating parole and ushering in the modern era of determinate sentencing. — Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026 Tomato cages are best used for low-maintenance, determinate, and bushy tomatoes, and are overall easier to set up than stakes. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for determinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determinate
  1. certain
  2. limited
  3. stable
  4. finite
  5. fixed
  6. restricted
  7. unchanging
  8. definite
Adjective
  • As more skincare brands come to market, Kim says shoppers should be wary of the ones that place too much importance on the inclusion or omission of certain ingredients.
    — Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In both shows, romance takes a back seat as a minor subplot, proving that WOCA (an acronym for women of a certain age that Ride Or Die fully embraces) are interested in more than love stories and relationship triangles.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of certain
Adjective
  • Natural gas demand has increased among sectors where pipeline connections remain limited or temporary supply is needed.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, this one is caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no proven vaccines and treatment options remain limited.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of limited
Adjective
  • Irish boxer Lee Reeves is in a critical but stable condition in hospital after his defeat via knockout in Dublin on Saturday, a Queensberry Promotions spokesperson has confirmed.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The woman was transported to the hospital and remains in stable condition.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of stable
Adjective
  • Wendorf argues that humans, particularly high-performing leaders, often squander their finite energy through people-pleasing, unproductive rumination, and worrying about external opinions, leading to burnout.
    — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Visit Sacramento did offer a lottery system wherein a finite number of people could potentially win a spot at the table.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of finite
Adjective
  • It is earned in increments, and a fixed level of autonomy ignores that completely.
    — Ravi Palwe, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • On the first Thursday over 100,000 fans visited a complex which has around half that many fixed seats.
    — James Hansen, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of fixed
Adjective
  • For Cheogyal, now, leaving his restricted homeland for Dharamsala has been like stepping into a new world where his culture – and celebration of its spiritual leader – are all around him.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Emphasizing that any drone can be a threat in a restricted area, the FBI referred to an incident last year during the LA fires when a man flew his drone into a Super Scooper water dropping airship, grounding it for five days.
    — Tom Wait, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of restricted
Adjective
  • On just one unchanging set, an old-time concert hall designed by Rachel Hauck and made appropriately ominous, a tiny ensemble enacts a whole Greek tragedy of love and sacrifice that goes from the land of the living to the underworld and back.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
  • There is a fallacy in thinking of languages as brute and unchanging facts, laid out distinctly like elements in the periodic table.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of unchanging
Adjective
  • Dunphy said a definite ask by the city will be an insistence on a labor-harmony agreement that ensures union jobs.
    — Jason Quick, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • Music, Fashion, Film is a definite left-turn from the pop provocateur’s recent work, but its earnest blend of cheek and vulnerability is Charli through and through.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
Definition of definite

Browse Nearby Words

determinants
determinate
determination
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Cite this Entry

“Determinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determinate. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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