decide
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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
- decider noun
- predecide verb (used with object)
- redecide verb
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”; -cide ( def. ) )
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.
Collier-Keywood has been in position since 2023 but will exit on 16 July after deciding not to seek a second term.
From BBC
Parents should be realistic and use their own judgement when deciding on what kind of screen time their children have, but watching together and discussing is clearly better than solo watching, Matthews adds.
From BBC
The moratorium is set to expire on March 31, unless ministers in Yaounde decide otherwise.
From Barron's
The net effect is that 21% of the respondents in the sample decided to postpone their retirements.
From MarketWatch
There was a simple reason why Lloyd decided to zag where everyone else in college hoops was zigging.
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.
