Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To determine, decide, or establish in advance.
  • intransitive verb To influence or sway toward an action or opinion; predispose.
  • intransitive verb To determine or decide something in advance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To determine beforehand; settle in purpose or counsel.
  • To destine by previous decree.
  • To make a determination beforehand.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To determine beforehand.
  • transitive verb To determine (something) beforehand.
  • transitive verb To doom by previous decree; to foredoom.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To determine or decide in advance.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb determine beforehand
  • verb cause to be biased

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From pre- +‎ determine.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word predetermine.

Examples

  • There really is no way to "predetermine" a class average.

    Archive 2008-01-01 Darren Kuropatwa 2008

  • There really is no way to "predetermine" a class average.

    Academe's Dirty Little Secret Darren Kuropatwa 2008

  • How could all these models be set to "predetermine" the conclusion that a 3C increase in surface temperature would result from a doubling of atmospheric CO2, assuming a 1%/year growth rate in the atmosphere?

    Pajamas Media James Lewis 2009

  • She and I have been wont to predetermine you, your character, foothold, and outlook, by — say by the fact that you knew your Wordsworth and that you knew him without being able to take for yourself his austere peace.

    The Kempton-Wace Letters 2010

  • What we failed to see was that the powerful tools employed for civic development and home production also predetermine social structure to such an extent that there is little room left for free personal choice or flexible adjustment.

    Charles R. Wolfe: Urbanism Chasing Utopia Charles R. Wolfe 2011

  • Second, if a Palestinian state is recognized along the 1967 lines in point of fact, nothing more than the 1949 armistice lines, this undermines UN Security Council Resolution 242 and 338 and the Camp David Accords, which call for a negotiated outcome and do not predetermine final boundaries.

    David Harris: Support Peace: Oppose Palestinian UN Gambit David Harris 2011

  • Second, if a Palestinian state is recognized along the 1967 lines in point of fact, nothing more than the 1949 armistice lines, this undermines UN Security Council Resolution 242 and 338 and the Camp David Accords, which call for a negotiated outcome and do not predetermine final boundaries.

    David Harris: Support Peace: Oppose Palestinian UN Gambit David Harris 2011

  • This makes it wonderfully easy for them to predetermine your emotions about an upcoming guest.

    Hulu.com: 5 Easy Ways for Comedians to Survive The View Hulu.com 2011

  • Employers predetermine which health plans are available to you; insurers select what network of physicians you can see.

    Power to the Patients 2009

  • Employers predetermine which health plans are available to you; insurers select what network of physicians you can see.

    Power to the Patients 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.