Defn: The act of determining the relations of an object, as regards genus and species; the referring of minerals, plants, or animals, to the species to which they belong; classification; as, I am indebted to a friend for the determination of most of these shells.
Syn. — Decision; conclusion; judgment; purpose; resolution; resolve; firmness. See Decision.
DETERMINATIVE
De*ter"mi*na*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. déterminatif.]
Defn: Having power to determine; limiting; shaping; directing; conclusive. Incidents . . . determinative of their course. I. Taylor. Determinative tables (Nat. Hist.), tables presenting the specific character of minerals, plants, etc., to assist in determining the species to which a specimen belongs.
DETERMINATIVE
De*ter"mi*na*tive, n.
Defn: That which serves to determine. Explanatory determinatives . . . were placed after words phonetically expressed, in order to serve as an aid to the reader in determining the meaning. I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
DETERMINATOR
De*ter"mi*na`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who determines. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
DETERMINE
De*ter"mine, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Determined; p. pr. & vb. n.
Determining.] Etym: [F. déterminer, L. determinare, determinatum; de
+ terminare limit, terminus limit. See Term.]
1. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. [God] hath determined the times before appointed. Acts xvii. 26.