determinative

Etymology

From Middle French déterminatif.

noun

1. (linguistics) An ideogram used to mark semantic categories of words in logographic scripts.
   Coordinate term: classifier
2. (grammar) A member of a class of words functioning in a noun phrase to identify or distinguish a referent without describing or modifying it.

adj

1. (law) Sufficient to decide something (such as a question of fact or of law).
   Coordinate term: dispositive
   When assigning custody, the preference of the child will be considered, but it is not determinative.
   This proceeding, though not presenting questions difficult of determination, or points of law that are novel, is unusual in many of its features, and is important as determinative of the disposition and welfare of a number of little children, ignorant of the contest that is being carried on in regard to them. 1905 January 21, Ch. Kent, opinion, New York Foundling Hospital v. Gatti, Arizona [Territorial] Supreme Court, as reported in, 1907, The Lawyers Reports Annotated, new series, volume 7, page 313 http://books.google.com/books?id=N6m2AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA313&dq=determinative
   It is therefore clear that, even in adoption cases where it might play a more important role, race is not a determinative factor and its importance will depend greatly on the facts. 2001, Michel Bastarache, “Van de Perre v. Edwards”, in CanLii
   An entity does not automatically conclude that any observed transaction price is determinative of fair value. 2009 July, International Accounting Standards Board, Financial Instruments, page 617