Think of drawing a firm boundary line that settles something for good — pinning a vague thing down to one fixed answer. Whether you pin it down by investigating, by causing it, by ruling on it, or by resolving in your own mind, the move is the same: turn 'uncertain' into 'fixed'.
From the word’s history
From Latin 'determinare' = to set limits / mark the boundary (de- 'completely' + terminare 'to bound, set a limit', the root of 'terminus', 'terminate'). So at root it means to draw the final line around something.
源自拉丁文 determinare，意為「劃定界線、定下限界」（de-「徹底地」+ terminare「設界、終止」，和 terminus 終點、terminate 結束同源）。可以想成它本義就是「在某件事周圍畫下最後一條線」——把事情圈定、定案，正好就是現代各種用法共同的那個核心。
Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. 'determine'
登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。
原始詞典資料8 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
determineverb/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/
- 1
To set the boundaries or limits of.
- [God] hath determined the times before appointed.
- The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight.
- 2
To ascertain definitely; to figure out, find out, or conclude by analyzing, calculating, or investigating.
- Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.
- 3
To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
- The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God.
- something divinely beautiful […] that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life
- 4
To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to.
- The news of his father's illness determined him to depart immediately.
- 5
To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
- The court has determined the cause.
- 6
To resolve (to do something); to establish a fixed intention; to cause (something) to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.
- I determined to go home at once.
- 7
human-scienceslogicmathematicsTo define or limit by adding a differentia.
- 8
lawTo bring to an end, finish; to come to an end, stop, end.
- Novv, vvhere is hee, that vvill not ſtay ſo long Till his Friend ſickneſſe hath determin'd me?
- […] whose assemblies are continued […] for the space of seven moons, after which their authority determines, and writs are issued for new elections.
摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。