determinative

Definition of determinativenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word determinative different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of determinative are conclusive, decisive, and definitive. While all these words mean "bringing to an end," determinative adds an implication of giving a fixed character or direction.

the determinative factor in the court's decision

When could conclusive be used to replace determinative?

The words conclusive and determinative can be used in similar contexts, but conclusive applies to reasoning or logical proof that puts an end to debate or questioning.

conclusive evidence

When might decisive be a better fit than determinative?

Although the words decisive and determinative have much in common, decisive may apply to something that ends a controversy, a contest, or any uncertainty.

a decisive battle

Where would definitive be a reasonable alternative to determinative?

While in some cases nearly identical to determinative, definitive applies to what is put forth as final and permanent.

the definitive biography

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 determinative But that factor would not be determinative alone. Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025 No single factor alone will be determinative of the outcome and because of the different fact patterns that can arise when presented with a debt-equity question, not all of the factors will be relevant to each and every case. Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 One is determinative, and the architects of that story already know the morality contained in the story, with the objective to lay out a moral system. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 North Carolina, often considered determinative in recent presidential contests, could offer a bellwether for national trends as both major parties consider their direction and platform for 2028. Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for determinative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for determinative
Adjective
  • Again, though, those declines are not dispositive of anything but fear.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Though the flimsiness of the threat was widely noted, the issue was not dispositive.
    Robert Goulder, Forbes.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The second was indisputable brilliance.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 3 June 2026
  • The most telling detail about the vintage Heuer Monaco leading Sotheby’s Important Watches Auction in New York on June 15 speaks to the watch’s indisputable authenticity.
    Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • Plants tend to grow taller than determinate types and are commonly pruned to maintain a single central stem.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 May 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
Adjective
  • The mark was federally registered in 2015 and has since achieved incontestable status, a legal designation that strengthens ownership rights.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Many experts also remained in denial until evidence of Covid’s lethality and transmissibility became incontestable.
    David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • That must be the unquestionable goal for next season.
    Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 27 May 2026
  • Nonetheless, its power is unquestionable.
    Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Adjective
  • The allure of this assignment, in her home city, is undeniable.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
  • The England manager’s logic was undeniable.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • For Langston, this was irrefutable evidence that Denise and Mohamed had sought to hide Djena’s status by falsely claiming that she was adopted.
    Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • In the exhibition, surrounded by 100 of them, hung on white cloth in a grid, the horror of the conflict is irrefutable.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • As a result, mathematical truths do not make up a unified whole of equally indubitable truths; instead, their status as knowledge varies gradually from doubtless facts to increasingly uncertain hypotheses.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 May 2026
  • The second route, and the route that makes indubitable sense, entails using the techniques and methods of psychology to gauge the performance of AI.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Determinative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/determinative. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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