determinations

Determinations are acts of determining or conclusions reached after consideration. The term encompasses both the process of establishing facts, values, or meanings and the resulting findings. In ordinary usage a determination is a decision or conclusion; in formal contexts it denotes an official ruling, finding, or calculation issued by an individual or body with authority. The word is used across diverse fields to describe the outcome of an inquiry, assessment, or specification.

In law and public administration, determinations are formal decisions issued by courts, agencies, or other authorities. They may decide liability, eligibility, tax obligations, or compliance with regulations. Such determinations are typically documented and may be subject to appeal or review.

In science and analysis, a determination refers to a measured or estimated quantity, or to the act of obtaining such a value. Examples include determinations of concentration in chemistry, determinations of identity or purity, and determinations of parameters in statistics, meteorology, or metrology. The term can describe both qualitative determinations (presence or absence) and quantitative ones (amounts, rates, or levels).

In philosophy and logic, determination can refer to the act of fixing a boundary, definition, or criterion, or to the character of what is determinate. Related notions include determinacy and deterministic explanations.