Category:Determinative

De*ter"mi*na*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. déterminatif.]

Defn: Having power to determine; limiting; shaping; directing; conclusive. Incidents. . . determinative of their course. I. Taylor. Determinative tables (Nat. Hist.), tables presenting the specific character of minerals, plants, etc., to assist in determining the species to which a specimen belongs.

determinative De*ter"mi*na*tive, n.

Defn: That which serves to determine. Explanatory determinatives. . . were placed after words phonetically expressed, in order to serve as an aid to the reader in determining the meaning. I. Taylor (The Alphabet).