• v. （使）下决心，（使）做出决定
• vt. 决定，确定；判定，判决；限定
• vi. 确定；决定；判决，终止；[主用于法律]了结，终止，结束

de-, 向下。-term, 边界，界限，词源同term, terminal. 即划下界限，明确。

determine

determine: [14] The central meaning of determine is ‘fix a limit to’, as in ‘determine the scope of an enquiry’. It comes via Old French determiner from Latin dētermināre, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘off’ and termināre ‘limit’ (source of English terminate). Its connotations of ‘firm resolve’, a 17th-century development, came via an intermediate sense ‘come to a firm decision on’.
=> terminate

determine (v.)

mid-14c., "to come to an end," also "to settle, decide" (late 14c.), from Old French determiner (12c.) or directly from Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to," from de- "off" (see de-) + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit" (see terminus). Sense of "coming to a firm decision" (to do something) is from mid-15c. Related: Determined; determining; determiner.

1. Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.--Zig Ziglar

决定你人生高度的，不是你的才能，而是你的态度。

来自金山词霸 每日一句

2. A debriefing would follow this operation, to determine where it went wrong.

这次行动之后将会有一个任务执行情况报告会，以便确定是哪里出了问题。

来自柯林斯例句

3. An astronomer can determine the brightness of each star.

天文学家能够测定每颗恒星的亮度。

来自柯林斯例句

4. The Baltic people have a right to determine their own future.

波罗的海各国人民有权决定自己的未来。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Testing needs to be done to determine the long-term effects on humans.

需要进行检测以确定其对人的长期影响。

来自柯林斯例句