determination noun
de·ter·mi·na·tion | \ di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən
\
Definition of determination

1a law : a judicial decision settling and ending a controversy the court’s determination in that case documents that will be used for the determination of ownership judicial determinations
b : the resolving of a question by argument or reasoning Inspectors made the determination that the building is unsafe.
2 archaic : termination
3a : the act of deciding definitely and firmly also : the result of such an act of decision
b : firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end a woman of great courage and determination fierce determination to succeed
4 : a fixing or finding of the position, magnitude, value, or character of something: such as
a : the act, process, or result of an accurate measurement more precise determination of the size of the tumor
b biology : an identification of the taxonomic position of a plant or animal

5 philosophy a : the definition of a concept in logic by its essential constituents (see constituent entry 1 sense 2)
b : the addition of a differentia to a concept to limit its denotation
6 : direction or tendency to a certain end : impulsion
7 biology : the fixation of the destiny of undifferentiated embryonic tissue

Determination is a positive emotional feeling that involves persevering towards a difficult goal in spite of obstacles. Determination occurs prior to goal attainment and serves to motivate behavior that will help achieve one’s goal. Empirical research suggests that people consider determination to be an emotion; in other words, determination is not just a cognitive state, but rather an affective state. In the psychology literature, researchers have studied determination under other terms, including challenge and anticipatory enthusiasm; this may explain one reason for the relative lack of research on determination compared to other positive emotions.