Synonyms

decision-making

American

[dih-sizh-uhn-mey-king] / dɪˈsɪʒ ənˌmeɪ kɪŋ /

Or decision making or decisionmaking

noun

the act or process of making choices or decisions with a group of people, especially in business or politics (often used attributively).

decision-making skills.

Other Word Forms

decision-maker noun

Etymology

Origin of decision-making

First recorded in 1915–20

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.

Foreign brands have been "too slow to localise decision-making and product development", said Bill Russo, founder of Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Institutions, shared values, and collective decision-making play a central role in shaping outcomes.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

What is more baffling than the botched decision-making at the time is that officials have been going through what happened behind closed doors for months.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

An adolescent’s brain is not fully developed — specifically the regions in charge of decision-making — until their mid-20s.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Unless the pace of decision-making accelerated, he knew, the fair would fall irreparably behind schedule, yet if anything the barriers to efficiency were increasing in size and number.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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