determiner
gb/dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/ us/dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
B2
role
1
word that comes before a noun
A word like the, a, this, or my that goes before a noun.
Usage pattern:
a determiner; [determiner] + [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse determiners with adjectives; determiners usually come before any adjectives (e.g., the big house).
Synonyms
specifier (Used especially in linguistics for the same general function in a noun phrase.)
|
article (Only a subtype of determiner (a/an, the).)
Collocations
a determiner
|determiner + noun
|use a determiner
|common determiners
|a determiner phrase
|a determiner system
|determiner position
|determiner agreement
Themes
language
|grammar
|education
Examples
- In the phrase “the book,” “the” is a determiner.
- “My” is a determiner in “my friends.”
- Some noun phrases can have more than one determiner, such as “all the students.”
Learner examples
- The word “a” is a determiner.
- Put a determiner before this noun.
Noun
formal
C1
abstract
2
factor that decides an outcome
Something that helps decide what happens.
Usage pattern:
a/the determiner of [something]
Common mistake:
This meaning is less common than determinant; in many contexts, determinant is the more usual word.
Synonyms
deciding factor (Common everyday phrase with the same meaning.)
|
determinant (More standard noun for a deciding factor, especially in academic writing.)
Collocations
key determiner
|main determiner
|major determiner
|primary determiner
|important determiner
|a determiner of success
|a determiner of behavior
|a determiner of health
|a determiner of choice
Themes
business
|society
|education
Examples
- Price was the main determiner of where we stayed.
- Access to clean water is a major determiner of public health.
- In many elections, turnout is a key determiner of the result.
Learner examples
- Money was the determiner of our decision.
Grammar
Dictionary form
determiner
IPA
GB/dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
US/dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
Syllables & stress
de - term - iner (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (term)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: determiner
- Plural: determiners
Word family
Forms
determiners
noun
Core family
Related words
determinedly
adverb
determinant
noun
Negative and opposite forms
undetermined
adjective
indeterminate
adjective
Advanced or less common
deterministic
adjective C1
determinism
noun C1
Expressions
demonstrative determiner
1/dɪmˈɑnstɹɪtɪv dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner pointing to something
A word like this or those before a noun.
Examples
- In “those days,” “those” is a demonstrative determiner.
- “This” is a demonstrative determiner in “this problem.”
determiner phrase
1/dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ fɹˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
technical
noun phrase headed by a determiner
A grammar term for a phrase built around a determiner.
Examples
- In DP analysis, “the book” is treated as a determiner phrase rather than a noun phrase.
- The article introduces the determiner phrase hypothesis.
possessive determiner
1/pəzˈɛsɪv dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner showing ownership
A word like my or their before a noun.
Examples
- In “our house,” “our” is a possessive determiner.
- She replaced “the report” with “her report” by adding a possessive determiner.
possessive determiner
1/pəzˈɛsɪv dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner showing belonging
a word like my or their before a noun
Examples
- In modern grammar, my and your are often called possessive determiners.
- A possessive determiner usually comes at the start of a noun phrase: “his new job.”
- “Its” is a possessive determiner, while “it’s” means “it is.”
postdeterminer
1/pˈɔstdɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
word placed after a determiner
A word like first that can come after the before a noun.
Examples
- In “the first time,” “first” is often analyzed as a postdeterminer.
- “Many” can work as a postdeterminer in “the many problems we faced.”
predeterminer
1/pɹˈɛdɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
word placed before another determiner
A word like all that can come before the or my.
Examples
- In “all the students,” “all” is a predeterminer.
- “Both” functions as a predeterminer in “both these answers.”
quantifying determiner
1/kwˈɔntɪfˌaɪɪŋ dɪtˈɚmɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
determiner expressing amount
A word that tells the amount before a noun, like some or many.
Examples
- “Many” is a quantifying determiner in “many people.”
- In “enough time,” “enough” functions as a quantifying determiner.