predetermine
verb (formal)Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they predetermine | |
he / she / it predetermines | |
past simple predetermined | |
past participle predetermined | |
-ing form predetermining |
- predetermine something
to decide something in advance so that it does not happen by chance 预先决定;事先安排 The sex of the embryo is predetermined at fertilization. 胚胎的性别早在受精时就决定了。 The way in which surveys are carried out often predetermines the results that are obtained. 开展调查的方式往往预先决定了所获得的结果。
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from late Latin praedeterminare, from prae ‘beforehand’ + determinare ‘limit, settle’.