<p>Determines is not a technical jargon but just a regular English word. As many other English words it has <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=determine%20definition&amp;oq=determine%20defi&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDM3MTlqMWo0qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">different meaning</a> depending on context, English is high context language. Moreover, it has actually different meaning even in those two examples.</p>
<ul>
<li><p>In the demand example, word determines means influences/causes i.e. output firms produce is caused or influenced by the aggregate demand.</p>
</li>
<li><p>In the central bank example determines, means controls/sets, i.e. it is the choice variable of central bank.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-07T20:25:50.053Z
2023-12-07T20:25:50.053Z
1muflon1
<p>You could also write &quot;influences&quot; instead of determines.</p>
<ol>
<li>In the short run, demand influences output.</li>
<li>In the short run, the central bank influences the interest rate.</li>
<li>In the short run, output is influenced by equilibrium in the goods and financial markets.</li>
</ol>
<p>The strength of the influence will vary by context.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-09T05:11:29.103Z
2023-12-09T05:11:29.103Z
Nazarene
<p>In macroeconomics I come across lot of sentences like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In the short run, demand determines output.<br />
In the short run, the central bank determines the interest rate.<br />
In the short run, output is determined by equilibrium in the goods and financial markets.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Should the word <em>determines</em> be read as causation, correlation or constraints?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-30T07:29:47.597Z
Welcome to economics.se, substantially changing question or adding more questions after answers are posted is considered vandalism on stack exchange, recent edits were rolled back. If you have more questions you can always ask new question, you should also always search the site to see if the question was already asked
1muflon1
<macroeconomics><definition>
Meaning of "determines"
quanity
# Meaning of "determines"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-12-07)

In macroeconomics I come across lot of sentences like

> In the short run, demand determines output.  
> In the short run, the central bank determines the interest rate.  
> In the short run, output is determined by equilibrium in the goods and financial markets.

Should the word *determines* be read as causation, correlation or constraints?

**Tags:** macroeconomics, definition

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to economics.se, substantially changing question or adding more questions after answers are posted is considered vandalism on stack exchange, recent edits were rolled back. If you have more questions you can always ask new question, you should also always search the site to see if the question was already asked  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-12-07. Score: 3

Determines is not a technical jargon but just a regular English word. As many other English words it has [different meaning](https://www.google.com/search?q=determine%20definition&oq=determine%20defi&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDM3MTlqMWo0qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) depending on context, English is high context language. Moreover, it has actually different meaning even in those two examples.

* In the demand example, word determines means influences/causes i.e. output firms produce is caused or influenced by the aggregate demand.
* In the central bank example determines, means controls/sets, i.e. it is the choice variable of central bank.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2023-12-09. Score: 1

You could also write "influences" instead of determines.

1. In the short run, demand influences output.
2. In the short run, the central bank influences the interest rate.
3. In the short run, output is influenced by equilibrium in the goods and financial markets.

The strength of the influence will vary by context.


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