The process of establishing exactly what something is or deciding something definitively. Causing something to occur in a particular way or having a decisive influence.
From Latin 'determinare,' meaning 'to limit' or 'to fix boundaries,' from 'de-' (completely) and 'terminus' (boundary). The sense evolved from setting physical limits to making definitive decisions.
Determining literally meant 'setting boundaries' in Latin, which explains why we use 'determine' both for finding out facts and for causing outcomes. The word carries the sense of drawing a line that settles a question definitively.
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