meghatározza

Meghatározza is a Hungarian transitive verb meaning to determine, define, or specify something. It is used to establish limits, scope, criteria, or values for a subject, often in formal, legal, policy, or technical contexts. The infinitive form is meghatározni, and the past participle is meghatározott. The third-person singular present indicative form is meghatározza, as in A rendelet meghatározza a vállalkozások kötelezettségeit.

The verb typically takes a direct object in the accusative, for example: A szabály meghatározza a határidőt. The construction határozza meg is a common alternative meaning “to determine/define,” with határozza meg a feltételeket meaning “determine the conditions.” Both forms are widely used, with meghatározza often sounding more formal or concise in written language.

Usage notes include that meghatározza frequently appears in legal texts, policy documents, scientific reports, and technical specifications, where precise boundaries or criteria must be stated. Semantically close verbs include meghatároz, definiál, and kijelöl; while kijelöl emphasizes designation rather than full specification. In many contexts meghatározza and határozza meg are interchangeable, though the choice can affect nuance or formality.

Etymology traces meghatározza to the imperfective base határoz, with the prefix meg- forming the perfective aspect, and the suffix -zza marking the present indicative third-person form. The related noun határozat means decision or ruling.