Determiner: meaning, definitions and examples

Used to provide information about the noun such as definiteness, proximity, quantity, and relationship. Common in both formal and informal writing or speech.

• The cat is on the mat.
• This book is interesting.
• Several people attended the meeting.

Used to identify or single out a particular noun within a group. More commonly found in specialized or technical discussions.

• The scientist isolated a specific gene.
• That particular solution is more effective.

Describes or qualifies another word, typically a noun, by adding more information about it. It's used to make the meaning of a noun more specific.

• She wore a beautiful dress.
• It was a quick decision.

Indicates the number or amount of the nouns they modify. Often used when discussing quantities in both informal and formal contexts.

• We have enough bread.
• Many students passed the exam.
• Several people were absent.

Used in grammar to specify the reference of a noun and can include words such as articles, possessive adjectives, demonstratives, and quantifiers.

• the, a, an, this, that, my, your, some, any

Specifically used to indicate quantity or amount when referring to nouns, often providing information about 'how many' or 'how much'.

• some milk, many people, several cookies

Describes a word, especially an adjective or noun, that modifies the meaning of another word, usually a noun, by adding more information.

• red apple, fast car, beautiful garden

Often used interchangeably with determiner in linguistic contexts to specify which noun out of several is being talked about. It can denote uniqueness or possession.

• the car, my house, this book

In another context, it refers to a factor or element that decisively affects the outcome.

• Hard work is a key determiner of success.

Used in programming or databases to refer to a name that is used to identify a specific item, such as a variable or a function. It's also used more generally to denote something that identifies a person, place, or thing.

• In this code, 'userID' serves as an identifier.

Utilized mainly in grammar and programming to denote something that provides specific details or attributes about another element.

• The specifier 'long' in 'long integer' tells us about the size of the integer.

Used predominantly in programming, mathematics, and science to denote a value that can change or vary. It can also refer to anything that is changeable or inconsistent.

• In the equation x + y = z, x and y are variables.