Definition

Describing a situation where outcomes are determined by specific conditions, with no randomness involved, meaning that given the same initial state, the result will always be the same.

Example

In a deterministic system, the same input will always produce the same output.

Conversation

I read an article about deterministic systems in programming.

Oh really? What did it say about them?

It mentioned how every state in these systems is predictable and depends only on the previous state.

That sounds interesting! It must make debugging a lot easier.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Deterministic → It is formed from "determinare" (meaning to limit or define) and the suffix "-istic" (meaning pertaining to). The word "deterministic" refers to a system or process that is defined or limited in its outcomes, implying that given a specific set of conditions, the results will always be the same.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'defined' or 'limited' in its outcomes — 'determinare' means to define, and '-istic' means pertaining to, so deterministic describes a process that has specific, predictable results.

Visually Confused Words