Determination

Origins

Old French. determine-r (12th c. in Littré), = Pr., Sp., It. determinar, ad. Latin. dterminre to bound, limit, determine, fix, f. L. DE- I. 3 + terminre to set bounds to

Definitions

• 1. A bringing to an end; a coming to an end; ending; termination. arch. (exc. as in b).

b. Law. (esp. in Conveyancing) The cessation of an estate or interest of any kind.

• 2. The ending of a controversy or suit by the decision of a judge or arbitrator; judicial or authoritative decision or settlement (of a matter at issue).

b. The decision arrived at or promulgated; a determinate sentence, conclusion, or opinion.

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• 3. The settlement of a question by reasoning or argumentation; discussion. Obs.

• 4. The resolving of a question or maintaining of a thesis in a scholastic disputation; spec. in University history, the name of certain disputations which followed admission to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and completed the taking of that degree, qualifying the student for proceeding to the residence and exercises required for the Master's degree. Obs. exc. Hist.

Determination took place regularly in the Lent following presentation for the B.A., and consisted originally in the determining by disputation of questions in grammar and logic. ‘It was originally, it would appear, a voluntary disputation got up by the Bachelors themselves in imitation of the magisterial INCEPTION, but it was early recognized and enforced by the Universities.’ (Rev. H. Rashdall.)

• 5. The determining of bounds or fixing of limits; delimitation; definition; a fixing of the extent, position, or identity (of anything).

b. Logic.

(a) The rendering of a notion more determinate or definite by the addition of characters or determining attributes.

(b) A determining attribute.

• 6. The action of definitely ascertaining the position, nature, amount, etc. (of anything).

b. The result ascertained by this action; that which has been determined by investigation or calculation; a conclusion, a solution.

• 7. Fixed direction towards some terminal point; decisive or determining bias. lit. and fig.

b. spec. A tendency or flow of the bodily fluids, now esp. of the blood, to a particular part.

• 8. The final condition to which anything has a tendency. Obs.

• 9. Metaph. The definite direction of the mind or will toward an object or end, by some motive, regarded as an external force.

• 10. The mental action of coming to a decision; the fixing or settling of a ; the result of this; a fixed purpose or intention.

• 11. The quality of being determined or resolute; determinedness, resoluteness.