Showing Results for "decided"

See Also:

• past participle of decide.
• past tense form of decide.

decided

American  

[dih-sahy-did] / dɪˈsaɪ dɪd /

adjective

1. in no way uncertain or ambiguous; unmistakable; unquestionable.

   a decided victory.

   Synonyms:

   indubitable, sure, definite, pronounced, certain, positive, indisputable, undeniable

2. free from hesitation or wavering; resolute; determined.

   a decided approach to a problem.

   Synonyms:

   unhesitating, resolved

   Antonyms:

   uncertain

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decided British  

/ dɪˈsaɪdɪd /

adjective

1. unmistakable

   a decided improvement

2. determined; resolute

   a girl of decided character

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• well-decided
  adjective
• decidedly
  adverb
• decidedness
  noun
• predecided
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of decided

First recorded in 1780–90; decide + -ed ²

Explanation

The adjective decided means recognizable, marked, or distinct. If you have a decided preference for classical music, you'll probably get Bach for your birthday and not the Beatles. Decided comes from the verb decide. If something has been decided, the question has been answered. So when we use decided as an adjective, we mean that there is no question about it. If you have decided political views, you won't be swayed by any debate. Decided can also mean distinct, as in a decided splash of yellow paint on your red car.

Related Words

• determined
• distinct
• pronounced
• resolved
• settled
• sure