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.
Finally, Dahlia and Mark unpack the thorny and confusing 8-1 decision from the High Court in Chiles v.
From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026
The Welsh government will make the final decision about a controversial plan to restore the site of the UK's last opencast mine.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Feasibility studies have already been conducted by federal agencies to assess whether a modern correctional facility could be established on the site, though no final decision has been made.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
A federal judge denied the Justice Department’s request to reconsider his decision to quash a pair of subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve, rejecting the government’s arguments in a sharply worded six-page opinion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
I didn’t give myself another minute to question this decision, or a minute to acknowledge the sweat pouring from the palms of my hands.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
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.
