determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtər-mə-nənt 

1

: an element that identifies or determines the nature of something or that fixes or conditions an outcome

education level as a determinant of income

2

mathematics : a square array of numbers bordered on the left and right by a vertical line and having a value equal to the algebraic sum of all possible products where the number of factors in each product is the same as the number of rows or columns, each factor in a given product is taken from a different row and column, and the sign of a product is positive or negative depending upon whether the number of permutations necessary to place the indices representing each factor's position in its row or column in the order of the natural numbers is odd or even

3

genetics : gene

the determinant of the sickle-cell trait

4

biology : epitope

determinantal

di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnan-tᵊl 

adjective

Examples of determinant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Decades of research shows that stable housing is a key determinant of someone’s health.2 For some people, a credit score weighed down by medical debt could prevent them from being approved for an apartment or mortgage. —Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 20 June 2024

And the language of Drake’s trash talk in recent years has come to align with that of the stan uprising, in which sales figures, powered by streaming, are used as the be-all, end-all determinant for aesthetic value and cultural significance. —Sheldon Pearce, NPR, 13 June 2024

The primary determinant of what is safe to check is today’s most common battery technology: Lithium Ion (Li-ion). —Ken Colburn, The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024

Together, inventions are making the world far more interconnected and altering the determinants of geopolitical advantage in fundamental ways. —Amy Zegart, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

see determine

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing determinant

• antigenic determinant

Kids Definition

determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtərm-(ə-)nənt 

: something that determines or influences

Medical Definition

determinant

noun

de·​ter·​mi·​nant di-ˈtərm-(ə-)nənt 

1

a

: a hypothetical aggregate of biophores conceived as comparable to the gene of more recent biological theory

b

: gene

2

: epitope