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
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
Herrero revealed that Pierre-Antoine Capton, the boss of Mediawan, played a decisive role in securing Clooney — a good friend of his — for the film.
—
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
Leaders can stress-test assumptions in real-time and get immediate insights to power the quick, decisive decision-making required of the C-suite.
—Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026
One slip from any of four clubs on the penultimate weekend could prove decisive.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 16 May 2026
However, Neil Mehta, macro portfolio manager at RBC BlueBay, believes the Labour government is on course for a decisive shift leftward, which will impact markets and assets.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
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Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
Leaders can stress-test assumptions in real-time and get immediate insights to power the quick, decisive decision-making required of the C-suite.
—Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026
One slip from any of four clubs on the penultimate weekend could prove decisive.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 16 May 2026
However, Neil Mehta, macro portfolio manager at RBC BlueBay, believes the Labour government is on course for a decisive shift leftward, which will impact markets and assets.
—Hugh Leask, CNBC, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decisive. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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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