déterminent

Déterminent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb déterminer. It means “they determine” or “they ascertain” and is used when the subject is plural and the action involves establishing or fixing something.

Grammatical notes: Déterminer is a regular -er verb. The present tense endings for this verb give: je détermine, tu détermines, il détermine, nous déterminons, vous déterminez, ils déterminent. Therefore, déterminent is the standard form for “they determine.” The corresponding noun form is déterminant, and the past participle is déterminé.

Usage and nuance: The verb implies causal or procedural establishment—identifying factors, fixing boundaries, or deciding a course of action. Examples: “Ils déterminent les paramètres du protocole.” “Les facteurs qui déterminent le résultat influent sur la stratégie.” In mathematical or logical contexts one might speak of “déterminer une valeur,” while “déterminant” (without -ent) is a noun meaning determinant, a term used in mathematics and grammar.

Origin and related terms: Déterminer comes from Latin determinare, meaning to bound or fix, from terminus (boundary). The form déterminent is one inflected form of this root; it is distinct from the noun détermnant or the adjective déterminant, which share the same root but belong to different parts of speech.

See also: déterminant (noun and adjective in grammar and mathematics) and détermination (the act or process of determining).