decision
Americannoun
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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.
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the act of or need for making up one's mind.
This is a difficult decision.
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something that is decided; decided; resolution.
She made a poor decision when she dropped out of school.
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a judgment, as one formally pronounced by a court.
It is the decision of this court that the appeal is granted.
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the quality of being decided; firmness.
He spoke with decision and calm authority.
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the final score in any sport or contest.
The decision was 5 to 4 in favor of the home team.
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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.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a judgment, conclusion, or resolution reached or given; verdict
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the act of making up one's mind
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firmness of purpose or character; determination
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The league council's decision, he points out, means Coupe de France semi-finalists Lens will end their league campaign with three games in the space of a week.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Looking back, Cakarel told the Journal, “I know now my job is to listen seriously, explain the decision more transparently and more quickly, and to create room for continued disagreement.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Laura McGee is co-founder of Arterra AI, a decision intelligence platform that helps investors gain alpha through AI.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
“We don’t have a voice or vote on this decision, and the kids are the most affected.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
And with Jakob’s terrible transformation, I’ve made another decision.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
