determinate

Determinate refers to something that has a fixed or certain outcome, result, or direction.

When we talk about determinate things, we often mean that they are predictable and follow a clear pattern. For example, if a company's profits are determined by a specific formula, it means that as long as the numbers go into the formula correctly, the outcome is predictable. In gardening, a determinate tomato plant grows to a certain size and produces all its fruit at once, unlike indeterminate varieties that keep producing throughout the season. Determinate also describes something that has a clear or definite purpose or intention, like a project's goal being determined by specific objectives.