# determinant

> English word · Noun · IPA /dɪˈtɜːmɪnənt/ · frequency rank #32,768

## Definitions
1. A determining factor; an element that determines the nature of something.
2. A scalar that encodes certain characteristics of a given transformation matrix; the unique scalar function over square matrices which is distributive over matrix multiplication, multilinear in the rows and columns, and takes the value 1 for the unit matrix; abbreviated as: det.
3. A substance that causes a cell to adopt a particular fate.
4. Something that causes a nuclease to cut at a specified point

## Etymology
Borrowed from French déterminant, equivalent to determine + -ant.

## Easily confused with
- **determining** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/determinant-vs-determining)

## Common misspellings (17)
`ddeterminant`, `deetrminant`, `detemrinant`, `deterimnant`, `determiannt`, `determinannt`, `determinantt`, `determinatn`, `determinnant`, `determinnat`, `determminant`, `determniant`, `deterrminant`, `detreminant`, `detterminant`, `dteerminant`, `edterminant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/determinant