determinate

«determinate» in Mova's school dictionary: fixed, exact and clearly limited, not vague — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (determinate; not compared)

meaning for a pupil

1) (formal) Determinate means fixed, exact and clearly limited, not vague. tree →

2) (science) A determinate plant, like some tomato plants, grows to a fixed size and then stops. tree →

sense in the lessons

In maths and science, a determinate quantity has one exact value; a determinate answer can be worked out exactly. In gardening, determinate tomatoes are bushy and ripen together. In law, a determinate sentence is for a fixed time. Opposite: indeterminate.

examples

• The problem has a determinate answer: 12. tree →
• The prisoner got a determinate sentence of five years. tree →
• Determinate tomato plants stop growing at about one metre. tree →
• The recipe gives a determinate amount of flour. tree →
• The number of people at the party was determinate, so we bought exactly enough cake. tree →
• Some puzzles have more than one answer and are not determinate. tree →

note

Formal and rare. Pronounced «dih-TER-min-it». Opposite: indeterminate. Do not confuse with determined (a determined person will not give up). In maths, «determinate» means only one exact answer.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «determinate» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.