different between determine vs conjecture

English

Alternative forms

• determin (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English determinen, from Old French determiner, French déterminer, from Latin determin?re (“to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”), from de + termin?re (“to limit”), from terminus (“bound, limit, end”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??t??m?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d??t?m?n/

Verb

determine (third-person singular simple present determines, present participle determining, simple past and past participle determined)

1. To set the boundaries or limits of.
2. To ascertain definitely; to figure out, find out, or conclude by analyzing, calculating, or investigating.
3. To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 259]:

     These dramas may appear purely internal but they are perhaps economically determined … when people think they are being so subtly inventive or creative they merely reflect society's general need for economic growth.

4. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to.

5. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.

6. To resolve (to do something); to establish a fixed intention; to cause (something) to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.

7. (logic) To define or limit by adding a differentia.
8. (obsolete) To bring to an end; to finish.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• determine in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• determine in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• determine at OneLook Dictionary Search
• "determine" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 98.

Anagrams

• intermede, nemertide

Galician

Verb

determine

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of determinar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of determinar

Ladin

Verb

determine

1. first-person singular present indicative of determiner
2. first-person singular present subjunctive of determiner
3. third-person singular present subjunctive of determiner
4. third-person plural present subjunctive of determiner

Portuguese

Verb

determine

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of determinar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of determinar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of determinar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of determinar

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [de?termine]

Verb

determine

1. third-person singular present subjunctive of determina
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of determina

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dete??mine/, [d?e.t?e??mi.ne]

Verb

determine

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of determinar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of determinar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of determinar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of determinar.

English

Etymology

From Old French, from Latin coniect?ra (“a guess”), from coniectus, perfect passive participle of c?nici? (“throw or cast together; guess”), from con- (“together”) + iaci? (“throw, hurl”); see jet. Compare adjective, eject, inject, project, reject, subject, object, trajectory.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?d???k.t???(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?d???k.t???/

Noun

conjecture (countable and uncountable, plural conjectures)

1. (formal) A statement or an idea which is unproven, but is thought to be true; a guess.

   I explained it, but it is pure conjecture whether he understood, or not.

2. (formal) A supposition based upon incomplete evidence; a hypothesis.

   The physicist used his conjecture about subatomic particles to design an experiment.

3. (mathematics, linguistics) A statement likely to be true based on available evidence, but which has not been formally proven.
4. (obsolete) Interpretation of signs and omens.

Synonyms

• halseny
• See also Thesaurus:supposition

Related terms

• conject
• conjectural

Translations

Verb

conjecture (third-person singular simple present conjectures, present participle conjecturing, simple past and past participle conjectured)

1. (formal, intransitive) To guess; to venture an unproven idea.

   I do not know if it is true; I am simply conjecturing here.

2. (transitive) To infer on slight evidence; to guess at.
   • February 22, 1685, Robert South, All Contingences under the Direction of God's Providence (sermon preached at Westminster Abbey)

     Human reason can then, at the best, but conjecture what will be.

Translations

Further reading

• conjecture in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “conjecture”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• conjecture in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin coniect?ra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.??k.ty?/

Noun

conjecture f (plural conjectures)

1. conjecture

Usage notes

Not to be confused with conjoncture.

Verb

conjecture

1. first-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
2. third-person singular present indicative of conjecturer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of conjecturer
5. second-person singular imperative of conjecturer

Further reading

• “conjecture” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Participle

conject?re

1. vocative masculine singular of conject?rus

Portuguese

Verb

conjecture

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of conjecturar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of conjecturar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of conjecturar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of conjecturar