determinative

[ dih-tur-muh-ney-tiv, -nuh-tiv ]
/ dɪˈtɜr məˌneɪ tɪv, -nə tɪv /

adjective

serving to determine; determining.

noun

something that determines.
a graphic symbol used in ideographic writing to denote a semantic class and written next to a word to indicate in what semantic category that word is to be understood, thus at times distinguishing homographs.

Origin of determinative

1645–55; probably < Medieval Latin dēterminātīvus fixed, Late Latin: crucial (of a disease), equivalent to Latin dētermināt(us) (see determinate) + -īvus -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM determinative

Example sentences from the Web for determinative

British Dictionary definitions for determinative

determinative
/ (dɪˈtɜːmɪnətɪv) /

adjective

able to or serving to settle or determine; deciding

noun

a factor, circumstance, etc, that settles or determines
grammar a less common word for determiner
(in a logographic writing system) a logogram that bears a separate meaning, from which compounds and inflected forms are built up

Derived forms of determinative

determinatively, adverb determinativeness, noun