as in determinative
providing or controlling a final outcome
The fact that she committed a crime is not dispositive of her claim that the police used excessive force in arresting her.
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Recent Examples of dispositive
Fitzgerald proposed a schedule that includes filing dispositive motions by October 20 and briefs by November 20.
—
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of litigation assignments from case initiation and answer, plus discovery, dispositive motion practice, trial and appeals.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
Read More: Why Food Chemicals Are a Problem—And How to Reduce Your Exposure
That’s not to say genes are entirely dispositive; having genes associated with the condition does not mean a child will inevitably develop it.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
The results will be the same in terms of the estate tax and dispositive scheme implications as in the above example, but now, whatever is inherited will face a capital gains tax on sale.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispositive
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Responsibilities include overseeing all aspects of litigation assignments from case initiation and answer, plus discovery, dispositive motion practice, trial and appeals.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2025
Read More: Why Food Chemicals Are a Problem—And How to Reduce Your Exposure
That’s not to say genes are entirely dispositive; having genes associated with the condition does not mean a child will inevitably develop it.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
The results will be the same in terms of the estate tax and dispositive scheme implications as in the above example, but now, whatever is inherited will face a capital gains tax on sale.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispositive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispositive
Adjective
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Between 1995 and 2010, CCM and its presidential candidates could win determinative vote shares while minimizing costly repression and fraud.—
Yonatan Morse,
The Conversation,
19 Dec. 2025
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But, ultimately, the president would not play a determinative role in interest rate decisions.—
Sarah Fortinsky,
The Hill,
14 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Look for determinate tomato varieties, which are less sprawling and more suitable for containers than indeterminate varieties.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
1 Feb. 2026
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Prosecutors said McBride received a determinate sentence of 20 years and four months in prison, to be followed by an indeterminate sentence of 75 years to life in prison.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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McDonald said a clear motive was not identified, nor was a specific target.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
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Earlier this week, after lawmakers said the names of several high-profile figures had been concealed in the documents without clear legal reasons, the department also moved to un-redact more than a dozen additional names.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On the other hand, research on how strongly protein, red meat, saturated fat and dairy are linked with chronic disease risk is much less conclusive.—
Michael I Goran,
The Conversation,
3 Feb. 2026
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Florida law makes grand jury proceedings secret, so the silence isn’t conclusive.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispositive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispositive. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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