determiner

American  

[dih-tur-muh-ner] / dɪˈtɜr mə nər /

noun

1. a person or thing that determines.

2. Grammar. a member of a subclass of English limiting adjectival words that usually precede descriptive adjectives and include the articles the, a, and an, and any words that may substitute for them, as your, their, some, and each.

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determiner British  

/ dɪˈtɜːmɪnə /

noun

1. a word, such as a number, article, possessive adjective, etc, that determines (limits) the meaning of a noun phrase, e.g. their in `their black cat'

2. a person or thing that determines

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Etymology

Origin of determiner

First recorded in 1520–30; determine + -er ¹

Example Sentences

It seems like, for him, his sexuality isn’t necessarily a big determiner of his identity; it is a symptom of him wanting to explore.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Ridley said the Official Golf World Rankings are "a legitimate determiner of who the best players in the game are" and because the Masters is an invitational event they can "adjust as necessary".

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2024

"Nobody should be the sole determiner of their own biases, but they maintain that," Lubet added.

From Reuters • Nov. 13, 2023

If you think what's the number one determiner of your income level – it's your parents' income level, right?

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2023

In the case of that in that boy, Miss Thistle- bottom got the function wrong, too: it’s determiner, not modifier.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• causal factor
• causality
• causation
• cause
• determinant
• determining factor
• reason