Determinato

Determinato is an Italian adjective and the past participle of determinare, meaning determined, fixed, or defined. Its basic sense is that something has been decided, settled, or specified. The word comes from Latin determinatus, the past participle of determinare, and has cognates in other Romance languages such as Spanish determinado and French déterminé.

In grammar, determinato agrees with the noun in gender and number: determinato (masc. sing.), determinata (fem. sing.), determinati (masc. plural), determinate (fem. plural). It is commonly used to express definiteness or specificity, for example: una data determinata (a specific date), un risultato determinato (a determined result), una persona determinata (a determined person). It can describe conditions or plans as well, e.g., un piano determinato (a definite plan).

As an attribute, determinato may convey firmness or resolve when referring to people, actions, or opinions, as in fare una scelta determinata (make a determined choice) or procedere in modo determinato (proceed in a determined way). It contrasts with indeterminato or indefinito, which signal non-specific or uncertain reference.

In mathematics, a related term is determinante, which denotes the determinant of a matrix; determinato is not used in that formal sense. The participle can also appear in passive or perfect constructions, e.g., è determinato by the initial conditions, depending on the verb tense and voice.