decide
Americanverb (used with object)
-
decides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
decided,
past participle, past
-
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:
"We have always been clear that we are committed to meeting our environment and climate obligations. However, it is for the New Zealand Parliament and our Government to decide how we do this."
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
A public consultation will be launched to help decide the rate of caps.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
MarketWatch: Why did you decide to write “A Fabulous Debt” now?
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Ultimately, though, shareholders need to decide if they’re better off financially after a buyback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“You’ve never told me how you met Papá. How did you decide to marry him?”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
To start with a point of order, it is Formula 1 that decides the calendar - as in, the commercial rights holder - not the FIA, the governing body.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
The temporary restraining order will be in place for 14 days while Kelly decides whether to extend it for the duration of the litigation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
The team of scientists decides to wait and see what happens next.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
In “Let Them Eat Goo,” South Park Elementary decides to replace its cafeteria meat with a plant-based substitute after Cartman suffers two heart attacks.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
They are undoubtedly watching, so he decides to walk around to the other side of the fence.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
"We are trying to focus on the football. It is already decided we will fulfil the games."
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Local prosecutors decided not to press charges, believing she hadn’t alleged any criminal behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
But after months of consultation, the culture ministry decided against the move, saying it could risk deterring domestic visitors as well as a result.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
“A concerned citizen noticed the marker at the waterline and out of fear for the safety of other beachgoers, decided to take the marker home and call law enforcement,” the post stated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
But he could move all four limbs, and nothing felt broken, so he decided he was better.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
She picked up one abode in 2017 for just under $10 million but sold that off just three years later, having renovated the home extensively before deciding to put it back on the market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
"All necessary options are on the table" in deciding what measures to take once final results are available, he told the briefing.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Dalvin Brown details how the rule works and weighs the pros and cons for families deciding between earlier payouts and bigger lifetime checks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Each year, the office weighs some 120,000 violations, deciding whether to file charges and how to pursue them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
It would be his first trip there, and he planned to spend about a year before deciding which medical school to attend, Harvard or CaseWestern.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
