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:
“While the conviction of Guy Miles did not occur on my watch, I am proud to say that the decision to move to have it dismissed did.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Carney said Saturday that his government had made the decision to impose tariffs of its own “reluctantly, because we recognize that it will raise costs and reduce choice for Canadians.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
The decision means the parents who spent years fighting Jones in court will receive a fraction of what the Texas jury believed his conduct warranted.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026
Carney's decision will also challenge the appetite among Canadians to accept some economic pain as Ottawa pushes for more US concessions.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 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
“All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Next week, host Susan Matthews joins Amicus co-hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the blockbuster decisions handed down in June—and Gorsuch’s role in them.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
So the next few weeks will be critical in providing the specific details players say they're currently lacking to make decisions over their future.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
States don’t agree with each other, and companies are left making growth and expansion decisions under a cloud of uncertainty about which rules apply where.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Maybe if we weren’t backed into a corner, we wouldn’t have to make decisions like that. We’re just kids!”
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
