as in theory
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Recent Examples of predetermination
The presiding judge granted Sweeney's attorney's request to change the charge to second-degree murder or manslaughter as the court lacked sufficient evidence to try him for first-degree murder since predetermination was not established.
—
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
He was also accused of failing to respect and comply with the law by denying due process to litigants and lawyers and demonstrating a bias or predetermination for certain cases.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025
From there we’re introduced to the Time Variance Authority where Loki is taken for messing with predetermination—a strict timeline set up by the powerful and mysterious Time Keepers—and introduced to Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 June 2021
Both seasons of The Umbrella Academy raise questions about the nature of time travel (as presented in the series) and the tension between choice and predetermination.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2020
There is comfort in subsuming your sense of individuality to a larger sentiment of prescription and predetermination.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2019
Yet the movie has a mythic thrust that’s partly due to its almost playful manipulation of time, its silent flash-forwards lending the story a feeling of futility and predetermination.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
He was also accused of failing to respect and comply with the law by denying due process to litigants and lawyers and demonstrating a bias or predetermination for certain cases.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025
From there we’re introduced to the Time Variance Authority where Loki is taken for messing with predetermination—a strict timeline set up by the powerful and mysterious Time Keepers—and introduced to Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 June 2021
Both seasons of The Umbrella Academy raise questions about the nature of time travel (as presented in the series) and the tension between choice and predetermination.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2020
There is comfort in subsuming your sense of individuality to a larger sentiment of prescription and predetermination.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2019
Yet the movie has a mythic thrust that’s partly due to its almost playful manipulation of time, its silent flash-forwards lending the story a feeling of futility and predetermination.
—Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predetermination
Noun
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The tobacco trials — which took place over decades but began to shift in favor of plaintiffs in the ’90s — similarly saw various types of plaintiffs file a wave of lawsuits, contributing to the release of internal documents and testing new legal theories.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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Analysts offer competing, somewhat contradictory theories about the software selloff.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pham said two Louvre employees questioned in the case have been told not to return to their jobs during the investigation, while also underscoring their presumption of innocence until the investigation and proceedings are completed.—
Thomas Adamson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Federal registration of a mark provides an exclusive right to use those marks and a presumption of ownership.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After an open meeting on Wednesday, Federal Communications Chair Brendan Carr said that networks should operate under the assumption that shows like The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live!—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Feb. 2026
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Certainly, Hondo looks pretty reflective and concerned in one of the first look stills as events challenge his legacy and his assumptions about authority, so sense of self.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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So, one hypothesis would be that your friend’s toddler got sick, and those invaders killed off a lot of his beneficial gut microbes.—
Adam Cohen,
Oklahoman,
17 Feb. 2026
-
However, instead of being a dead end for the Chrysalis hypothesis, the simulations opened another door, and the key was another moon of Saturn, Hyperion, which orbits just beyond Titan.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Despite much conjecture, the rapper, 33, opted not to take the stage alongside the Puerto Rican superstar, but she was spotted dancing and vibing during Bad Bunny's halftime show performance inside his famous casita, which has become a show staple since his Puerto Rico residency last year.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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To prove the full conjecture, the mathematicians had to get even better bounds on the sizes of the gradient’s pieces.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Blais, who founded Blackbird in 2020, appeared to address the public concerns in the lengthy statement, calling for an end to speculation about the disaster.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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And with speculation about what forced the slugger to miss time, head coach Michael Earley joined TexAgs Thursday morning and provided clarity on the situation.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The investment thesis continues to be that these stocks should provide a better risk/reward and a margin of safety as volatility is here to stay.—
Jeff Kilburg,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
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All this is not to say, however, that Sternhell’s thesis on the French origins of fascism should be taken for granted.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While the Red Sox reallocated some of the Devers money toward signing Roman Anthony to an eight-year, $130 million contract extension and Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million deal, the original supposition was that the club would use the Devers money to re-sign Bregman.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Under California law, fraud must be pled with particularity, meaning there must be specifics and details in the complaint; generalizations, inferences and supposition don’t cut it.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predetermination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predetermination. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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