determine
To decide something firmly, or to work it out for certain.
determine in a sentence
- The last race will determine who wins the whole competition.
- Vets can determine a horse's age by looking at its teeth.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to determine?
- Adecide
- Bwaver
- Chesitate
- Dguess
Show the answer
A: decide. The other three mean the opposite of determine.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to determine?
- Aestablish
- Bsettle
- Cdecide
- Dwaver
Show the answer
D: waver. The other three mean nearly the same as determine.
Words that mean something similar
decide, settle, establish
Words that mean the opposite
waver, guess, hesitate
More words about thinking & learning
- dilemma: A tricky choice between two things, where neither seems right.
- distinguish: To see or show how two things are different.
- dubious: Not sure whether something is true or can be trusted.
- endeavour: To try very hard to do something.
- engrossed: So interested in something that you notice nothing else.
- enlighten: To explain something so that someone understands it clearly.
- enthral: To hold someone's full attention with delight.
- essential: So important that you cannot manage without it.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test