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determination

UK /dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/noun

determination is spelled D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N: 13 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, determination means “The act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of determination is determinations.

How many letters and syllables are in determination?

Letters13: D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N
Syllables5 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing14 times per million words; the 5,496th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is determination?

Determination appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce determination?

  • UK /dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/

Determination has 5 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-determination.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with determination?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as determination from its last stressed vowel (/eɪʃən/, British pronunciation):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of determination

  • determinations plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does determination mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    The act, process, or result of any accurate measurement, as of length, volume, weight, intensity, etc.

    the determination of the wavelength of light

  2. 2

    The act of defining a concept or notion by giving its essential constituents.

  3. 3

    The addition of a distinguishing feature to a concept or notion, thus limiting its extent.

  4. 4

    The act of determining the relations of an object, such as genus and species; the referring of minerals, plants, or animals, to the species to which they belong; classification

    I am indebted to a friend for the determination of most of these shells.

  5. 5

    Direction or tendency to a certain end; impulsion.

  6. 6

    The quality of mind which reaches definite conclusions; decisive character; resoluteness; fortitude.

    Through sheer determination, we managed to escape from the tornado.

  7. 7

    The state of decision; a judicial decision, or ending of controversy.

  8. 8

    That which is determined upon; result of deliberation; purpose; conclusion formed; fixed resolution.

    The tribunal has reached a determination in respect of this matter.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Determination in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanBestimmung (act of determining, or the state of being…), Unterscheidung (addition of a differentia to a concept or…), Determination (direction or tendency to a certain end…)
Spanishdeterminación, decisión, resolución (act of determining, or the state of being…), ahínco (direction or tendency to a certain end…)
Frenchdétermination (act, process, or result of any accurate…)
Portuguesedeterminação (act, process, or result of any accurate…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does determination come from?

From Middle English determinacion, determynacioun, from Old French determinacion, from Latin dēterminātiō. Morphologically determine + -ation.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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