deciding

American

[dih-sahy-ding] / dɪˈsaɪ dɪŋ /

adjective

that settles a question or dispute or leads to a final decision; determining; decisive.

the deciding vote; The weather will be the deciding factor as to whether we have the picnic or not.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

decidingly

adverb

Etymology

Origin of deciding

First recorded in 1650–60; decide + -ing ²

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.

This applies to anyone who is choosing to go into business with a friend or acquaintance or deciding to get married, which could be the most important and most expensive decision you could ever make.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

“There are numerous potential long-term, postsurgical factors to consider for higher-risk patients without known breast cancer when deciding on double mastectomy,” Singh added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

FedEx investors who got shares in the spin are deciding whether they want them, and other investors are evaluating the stock as Wall Street starts writing research on the company.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Not the small pause people make before deciding they don’t want to try.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Akira was deeply involved, concentrating for several minutes sometimes before deciding what card to ask her for.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023