decision

American  

[dih-sizh-uhn] / dɪˈsɪʒ ən /

noun

1. the act or process of deciding; deciding; determination, as of a question or doubt, by making a judgment.

   They must make a decision between these two contestants.

2. the act of or need for making up one's mind.

   This is a difficult decision.

3. something that is decided; decided; resolution.

   She made a poor decision when she dropped out of school.

4. a judgment, as one formally pronounced by a court.

   It is the decision of this court that the appeal is granted.

   Synonyms:

   decree, finding, verdict, ruling

5. the quality of being decided; firmness.

   He spoke with decision and calm authority.

6. the final score in any sport or contest.

   The decision was 5 to 4 in favor of the home team.

7. Boxing. the awarding of a victory in a match not decided by a knockout or technical knockout, usually through a vote of the referee and judges.

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verb (used with object)

1. Boxing. to win a victory over (one's opponent) by a point score rather than a knockout.

decision British  

/ dɪˈsɪʒən /

noun

1. a judgment, conclusion, or resolution reached or given; verdict

2. the act of making up one's mind

3. firmness of purpose or character; determination

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Other Word Forms

• decisional adjective
• nondecision noun
• predecision noun
• redecision noun
• subdecision noun

Etymology

Origin of decision

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English decisioun, from Middle French, from Latin dēcīsiōn-, stem of dēcīsiō “a cutting off,” equivalent to dēcīs(us) (past participle of dēcīdere “to cut off”; decide ) + -iō -ion

Example Sentences

Dynamic protein behavior is essential for many biological processes, including sensing environmental changes, making decisions inside cells, and controlling cell division.

From Science Daily

NBA commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged concerns from others in the league on Monday, saying that his decision to cancel the collaboration is in the best interests of the “broader NBA community.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Sixth Form Colleges Association welcomed the announcement, as well as the government's decision to retain BTecs while V-levels were phased in.

From BBC

Sharma’s decision to leave was related in part to a recent company decision to modify a long-held safety policy, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal

A miner’s decision to produce the secondary mineral therefore isn’t based on its economics but rather on the economics of the primary mineral.

From Barron's

Related Words

• accord
• agreement
• arrangement
• choice
• compromise
• determination
• finding
• judgment
• opinion
• outcome
• resolution
• result
• ruling
• selection
• settlement
• verdict