1. having the power to decide or determine something; decisive

1. a word or element that determines or limits the meaning of another word
Usage: grammar
2. a symbol used in ancient Egyptian writing to indicate the meaning category of a word
Usage: linguistics; Egyptology

Examples

• The final exam will be determinative of your grade in the course.
• Her testimony proved determinative in the jury’s decision.
• In the phrase ‘the red car,’ ‘the’ is a determinative.
• Articles and demonstratives are common determinatives in English.
• The determinative helped scholars understand the hieroglyphic text.
• Ancient Egyptian scribes used determinatives to clarify word meanings.