decide
Americanverb (used with object)
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decides,
present (3rd person singular)
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decided,
past participle, past
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deciding
present participle
-
to solve or conclude (a question, controversy, or struggle) by giving victory to one side.
The judge decided the case in favor of the plaintiff.
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to determine or settle (something in dispute or doubt).
to decide an argument.
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to bring (a person) to a decision; persuade or convince.
The new evidence decided him.
verb (used without object)
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decides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
decided,
past participle, past
-
deciding
present participle
-
to settle something in dispute or doubt.
The judge decided in favor of the plaintiff.
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to make a judgment or determine a preference; come to a conclusion.
verb
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(may take a clause or an infinitive as object; when intr, sometimes foll by on or about) to reach a decision
decide what you want
he decided to go
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(tr) to cause (a person) to reach a decision
the weather decided me against going
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(tr) to determine or settle (a contest or question)
he decided his future plans
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(tr) to influence decisively the outcome of (a contest or question)
Borg's stamina decided the match
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(intr; foll by for or against) to pronounce a formal verdict
Usage
What are other ways to say decide?
To decide is to settle something in dispute or doubt. How is it different from resolve and determine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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decidesimple
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decidessimple
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have decidedperfect
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has decidedperfect
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am decidingprogressive
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are decidingprogressive
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is decidingprogressive
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have been decidingperfect progressive
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has been decidingperfect progressive
Past
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decidedsimple
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had decidedperfect
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was decidingprogressive
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were decidingprogressive
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had been decidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of decide
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English deciden, from Middle French decider, from Latin dēcīdere, literally, “to cut off,” equivalent to dē- de- + -cīdere (combining form of caedere “to strike, cut down”; see -cide ( def. ))
Explanation
To decide is to make up your mind to do (or not do) something. People decide hundreds of things a day, from what to eat to what TV shows to watch. Deciding involves making decisions — choosing what to do. There are a lot of things in life to decide, such as where to live, what school to go to, where to apply for a job, and what kind of clothes to buy and wear. At any restaurant, there are hundreds of options: you have to decide which is right for you. You can also say that if a touchdown ended a game, it decided the game.
Vocabulary lists containing decide
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 1
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"Zlateh the Goat"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But even if they did decide to avail of Medicaid for outpatient care or nursing home care, they should not assume that Medicaid will be available on whatever terms they expect.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
An investor who might otherwise buy a US Treasury bond "might decide to buy Microsoft" instead, said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, referring to the tech giant's bonds.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Governments therefore have to decide which capabilities they are comfortable buying from overseas providers or allies.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The justices will decide whether a participant suing over underperformance has to identify a “meaningful benchmark”—a comparable investment—before the case can proceed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
She hopes he will decide to switch specialties and study leprosy instead.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
If your doctor decides that you could have been exposed to rabies, treatment may include a series of rabies vaccination shots, which will prevent rabies symptoms, illness and death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“There are two key reports that will largely determine what the Fed decides to do, with the first—the September jobs report—due on Friday,” said ING economist James Knightley in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
This is the president's theatre and he decides how long the public performance lasts.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Professional life is crowded with micro-signals — clothes, cups, phones, tone, timing, posture — ordinary things that remain perfectly neutral until someone decides they are evidence of character.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
Luckily Rubio’s lanky body decides at that moment to slump over during the medical exam.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Bricknell: "I believe he was second top-scorer at Arsenal behind Benik Afobe, and then for some reason they decided at 11 years of age that they didn't want him anymore."
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I decided the universe was telling me that wasn’t right for me.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Gutiérrez grew up in Maracaibo, Venezuela, and decided by age 14 that he wanted to become a lawyer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Part of the reason why Raj said she decided to run was because she wanted to add a renter voice to a city council where homeowners are the majority.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
But then, for the first time ever, he decided to return something Torak had thrown, and bounded towards him with the Nanuak in his jaws.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
In June, US Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick cited Rush's professional career in deciding he was a flight risk, and ordered him held in jail pending trial.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Price levelled but Humphries broke in the deciding leg of set five and then won three straight legs to be crowned champion.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
“The deciding factor is always going to be how Chris is feeling,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said Thursday that officials may need more time before deciding whether to raise interest rates again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
While deciding on a new key, though, keep in mind that you are also making the piece higher or lower, and choose keys accordingly.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
