decisive
adjective
de·ci·sive
di-ˈsī-siv 
1
: having the power or quality of deciding
The council president cast the decisive vote.
a decisive battle
2
: resolute, determined
a decisive manner
decisive leaders
a decisive editor
3
: unmistakable, unquestionable
a decisive superiority
decisively
adverb
decisiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of decisive in a Sentence
You must be decisive and persistent to succeed in this competitive field.
I stood there wondering what to do, but my sister was more decisive and immediately went to the phone.
The fight ended with a decisive blow.
the decisive battle of the war
The poverty of his childhood played a decisive role in his adult life.
The meeting is seen as a decisive step toward a peace treaty.
Recent Examples on the Web
On Friday, the United Auto Workers scored a decisive victory at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., as workers voted overwhelmingly to organize with the UAW.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Five scoreless innings of relief from Ryan Walker, Erik Miller, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval ensured that Bailey’s fifth-inning homer stood up as the decisive blow after Kyle Harrison completed only four innings and left the game knotted at 3.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The one match that went to a decisive third set was between Peyton Jensen and Kaitlyn Lee of Westview (12-0, 10-0 league) and Keala Minna-Choe and Siena Valdivia of Canyon Crest (9-4, 7-3 league).
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
That's valuable, but having more digits in your receipts column for Q1 doesn't equate to a decisive advantage.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
The conflict was personal; there was betrayal, a double agent, a secret team of political operatives, — and a decisive victory for one side that left the other bitter.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The pressure to take decisive steps not to get pregnant and the pressure against the very same thing can put people in a position in which their choices are influenced by factors other than what is right for them, Mark said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
These are desperate, potentially decisive, days in Ukraine’s battle against Vladimir Putin’s invasion forces.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Neither side has the resources to achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Five scoreless innings of relief from Ryan Walker, Erik Miller, Taylor Rogers, Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval ensured that Bailey’s fifth-inning homer stood up as the decisive blow after Kyle Harrison completed only four innings and left the game knotted at 3.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024
The one match that went to a decisive third set was between Peyton Jensen and Kaitlyn Lee of Westview (12-0, 10-0 league) and Keala Minna-Choe and Siena Valdivia of Canyon Crest (9-4, 7-3 league).
—Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
That's valuable, but having more digits in your receipts column for Q1 doesn't equate to a decisive advantage.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
The conflict was personal; there was betrayal, a double agent, a secret team of political operatives, — and a decisive victory for one side that left the other bitter.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
The pressure to take decisive steps not to get pregnant and the pressure against the very same thing can put people in a position in which their choices are influenced by factors other than what is right for them, Mark said.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
These are desperate, potentially decisive, days in Ukraine’s battle against Vladimir Putin’s invasion forces.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Neither side has the resources to achieve a decisive victory on the battlefield.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decisive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decisive
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decisive. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decisive
adjective
de·ci·sive
di-ˈsī-siv
1
: having the power to decide
the decisive vote
2
: unmistakable, unquestionable
a decisive victory
3
: marked by or showing decision
a decisive manner
decisively
adverb
decisiveness
noun
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