What is the Latin word for determine?

The usual Latin words for “determine” are statuō, cōnstituō, dēstinō; also dēsignō, fīniō, dēfīniō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“determine” in Latin

statuōto put up (something); to stand (something) in an upright position; to establish, determine, fix (the form or character cōnstituōto place, put, locate, lay; to set up, establish, constitute, found; to build, erect, construct dēstinōto bind, fasten, secure, fix, make fast; to establish, determine, resolve, consider, predict, destine; to intend, devote dēsignōto mark; to trace out; to outline, describe fīniōto finish, terminate; to set, appoint; to limit, bound dēfīniōto bound, set bounds to; to limit; to define, explain, designate by limiting; to terminate, finish terminōto mark off (by boundaries), set bounds to; bound, limit; to define, fix, determine, circumscribe; to close, finish, end dēterminōto delimit (set bounds to); to confine (within limits); to define affirmōto present (something) as fixed, firm, or true; affirm, assert, maintain; to strengthen, confirm, corroborate; to make c dēcernōto decide, decide upon, settle, determine (especially something disputed or doubtful); to pronounce a decision concernin

The English word determine itself goes back to Latin terminus, through determino.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

determine

TRANS.

Terminate by a decision, disceptare aliquid: decernere aliquid or de re: dijudicare aliquid: judicare aliquid, or de re: decidere aliquid or de re: affirmare de re: pronunciare, constituere de re. [SYN. in DECIDE.] To determine a dispute, controversiam disceptare, decernere, dijudicare (all three, also ferro, by the sword); de controversia decidere, statuere, constituere: to decide a question, quaestionem solvere; a doubtful point, rem dubiam decernere (Liv.); a cause, dijudicare litem (!); in favor of the accused, secundum reum dare litem or judicare (opposed to contra reum dare litem, to determine it against him): points that are not to be determined by mere opinions, res ab opinionis arbitrio sejunctae: to refuse to determine a point, integrum or injudicatum relinquere aliquid: in medio relinquere aliquid (Sall.): a point that is not yet determined, res integra: this point is not yet determined, adhuc sub judice lis est (Hor.); adhuc de hac re apud judicem lis est (Asc., ad Cic., Verr., 1, 45, p. 335, ed. Schutz): his fate is not yet determined, non habet exploratam rationem salutis suae: that is no easy point to determine, magna est ista dijudicatio (Cic.): whether this is so, etc., is not yet determined, sit ne hoc, etc... quaestio est: a single battle will determine the fate of the commonwealth, in uno proelio omnis fortuna reipublicae disceptat: the question is already determined, res non integra est; non integrum est.

Settle, fix, statuere: constituere (fix; constituere, if the subject or object is a multitude; Döderlein): destinare (to form a decided resolution about anything, by which a matter is set at rest; e.g., diem necis; tempus et locum ad aliquid): designare (to mark out; e.g., locum sepulere). (The words are found in this connection and order.) constituere et designare: finire: definire (mark out the limits; also ascertain the limits of anything, finire modum, locum, diem, tempus, latitudinem silvae [Caes.]; definire tempus adeundi): to determine the day, diem statuere, constituere, dicere; beforehand, diem praestituere, praefinire: to determine the time, tempus dicere, destinare: to determine the time and place, tempus et locum condicere (by agreement together): to determine the bounds of the empire, terminare fines imperii: to determine the question (i. e., settle what it is, etc.), limitare quaestionem.

To limit, confine, finire: definire: terminare: determinare (determinare, Liv.; seldom in Cic.): continere: circumscribere: limitare (Vitrvius; Col.): to determine our view, aspectum nostrum definire (Cic.).

To give a direction towards any object; influence the will towards it, etc., adducere aliquem ad aliquid; commovere aliquem ad aliquid; incitare or concitare aliquem ad aliquid.

Resolve (to do anything), statuere: constituere. decernere: destinare: obstinare (animo, or of several, animis): alicui destinatum in animo est (e.g., aliquid facere): consilium capere (with genitive of gerund): inducere animum or in animum (with infinitive or ut). [SYN. in RESOLVERE.] I am determined, certum est mihi; stat mini (sententia); statutum habeo cum animo et deliberatum: to be determined to die, ad mortem obstinatum esse: they were determined to conquer or to die, obstinaverant animis vincere aut mori (Liv.).

determine

INTRANS. or ABSOL. To determine concerning a matter, constituere de re: affirmare or pronuntiare de re: decernere (when used absolutely, or de re): to determine in favor of anybody, decernere secundum aliquem.

End, Vid.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for determine?: The usual Latin words for “determine” are statuō, cōnstituō, dēstinō; also dēsignō, fīniō, dēfīniō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.