decision
Americannoun
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decisions
plural
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the act or process of 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; 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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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”; see decide) + -iō -ion
Explanation
To make a decision is to make up your mind about something. To act with decision is to proceed with determination, which might be a natural character trait. Decision originally comes from the Latin decidere ("determine"). You make decisions every day: what to wear, what to eat, how to spend your money, who to vote for, what movie to go to. A court judge makes a decision in a trial (and actually "hands down" or "announces" that decision). If judges make the decision in a boxing match, the winner wins "by decision." More loosely, decision can also refer to the outcome of any game or contest.
Vocabulary lists containing decision
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ion, -tion, -ation
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President Obama's second inaugural address
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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:
The decision to drill, although "a bit expensive," sets him free from paying for water deliveries three times a week.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
He defended the decision to prioritize production of the outgoing RAV4 last year, saying the 2025 vehicle remained “red hot” even as the newly updated one was right around the corner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Its commander waited for as long as possible before making the decision to blow the tanks and bring the sub up to give its crew a last chance of survival.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Carney's decision to recently walk away from trade talks with the US gave rise to another swell of Canadian pride and patriotism.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
He made his decision and took a deep breath.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Hopebridge said its scheduling is meant to ensure children receive quality care, and decisions about whether patients should be treated at a center are based on clinical needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
She told the BBC: "We cannot have the NSA's wife tweeting about what decisions her husband has or hasn't made."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
She was a teenage girl suddenly saddled with the fate of a country, tasked with making decisions well beyond her purview or experience.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Target-date funds aren’t necessarily built to handle many of the decisions retirees face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
“It’s bad enough when you know the people making all the decisions for you. I can’t imagine how hard it would be if strangers are doing all the deciding.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
