= Determiner
A <determiner> is a grammatical category whose members help specify the reference of a <noun phrase> in context. They can signal distinctions such as definite versus indefinite reference, proximity or quantity. Their contribution differs from the descriptive property supplied by a typical <adjective>.<Universal Dependencies annotation guidelines>[DET, Definition and scope of the category]{ref}
Compare `a red box`, `the red box` and `this red box`. The descriptive words can remain fixed while the expressions impose different expectations about identifying the referent. In a display with several red boxes, pointing can help interpret `this`, while an earlier mention can help establish the intended referent of `the`.
Classification also requires a stated scheme. <Universal Dependencies> includes articles such as `a` and `the` under `DET`, but uses a separate numerical label for cardinal numbers. A familiar broad description like “a word before a noun” is therefore too weak to reproduce the intended <linguistic annotation>.
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