decision

[dih-sizh-uhn]

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.

verb (used with object)

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

decision

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of decision¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of decision¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin dēcīsiō, literally: a cutting off; see _decide

Example Sentences

Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, but they temporarily stayed the decision pending the Supreme Court appeal, which was accepted by the justices with lightning speed.

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"While the government has deferred its decision on BP's Development Consent Order for H2Teesside, we recognise that major projects of this scale require thorough consideration and due process," he said.

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Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said it will provide better access to information for parents "to support them to make informed decisions about their birth choices".

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The Parole Board granted him parole again in 2023 but the decision was challenged by ministers, leading to a fresh hearing this year.

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Before the general election Labour MPs had a deep and consistent trust in Reeves's decisions on matters big and small.

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Related Words

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