decision

1 of 2

noun

de·​ci·​sion di-ˈsi-zhən How to pronounce decision (audio)
1
a
: the act or process of deciding
the moment of decision has come
b
: a determination arrived at after consideration : conclusion
made the decision to attend graduate school
2
: a report of a conclusion
a 5-page decision
a Supreme Court decision
3
: promptness and firmness in deciding : determination
acting with decision
4
a
: win
specifically, combat sports : a victory based on points awarded
Former heavyweight champion kickboxer Sterling (Cash) McCallum took a unanimous decision over Cesar Rendon in an eight-round standard bout in Phoenix … New York Times
b
baseball : a win or loss officially credited to a pitcher
has five wins in eight decisions
decisional
di-ˈsi-zhnəl How to pronounce decision (audio)
-ˈsi-zhə-nᵊl
adjective

decision

2 of 2

verb

decisioned; decisioning; decisions

transitive verb

combat sports
: to win by being awarded more points than (an opponent)
… he hasn't won an important fight since he decisioned Duran on Jan. 30, 1982.William Nack

Examples of decision in a Sentence

Noun She announced her decision to go to medical school. Have you made a decision? He based his decision on facts, not emotions. She made a conscious decision to leave the painting unfinished. We need someone who will act with decision even under pressure. The U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 decision brought an end to racial segregation in public schools.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The decision comes as O'Neal is currently involved in many other businesses, according to the release. The Courier-Journal, 16 Mar. 2024 Because Denver made the worst monetary decision in NFL history with Wilson, the Steelers pay him $1.2 million for 2024. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 Typically comprised of Japanese entities with a stake in the project as investors or rights holders, production committees can be slow to make decisions and resistant to foreign participation. Mark Schilling, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 And that has given him little say in how his money is spent, an unusual set-up in pro sports where the majority investor typically has control over board decisions. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The decision could fundamentally alter the nature of speech online. Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 At the time, and even now, much controversy surrounded the decision. Andrea Kane, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The decision Friday sends the case back to a federal appeals court for a second look. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 15 Mar. 2024 But others are making the emotionally difficult decision to destroy or donate their genetic material to science to cut costs. Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Verb
But in between the Lime bike wet legs and collegial lifts and lax Metro decisions a few semi-coherent impressions remain. Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2024 The International Energy Agency reported last month that demand for oil, gas and coal will peak by 2030 before going into a steady decline, leading its executive director, Fatih Birol, to warn oil company executives that decisions to double down on fossil fuel infrastructure could prove misguided. Aaron Gregg, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 Several other cases against Mr. Barker and the producers were settled out of court, decisions Mr. Barker attributed to the show’s owners over the years. Robin Webb, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2023 Suggestions by officials that decisions about releasing flood waters into Zhuozhou and elsewhere in Hebei were made to minimize the impact on the capital Beijing, Xiong’an and the port city of Tianjin also caused a backlash. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 18 Aug. 2023 How Ryan Day and/or Brian Hartline call a game — and what decisions those quarterbacks make — could vary noticeably from their predecessors. Nathan Baird, cleveland, 23 July 2023 Decision Intelligence encompasses a range of approaches, from decision automation (where the machine does most of the decision-making) to decision augmentation (balancing humans and machines). James Taylor, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023 This is a book about the decisions that many of us in our daily lives and certainly decisions that our government has made — and our corporations have made — to allow and perpetuate all this poverty in this land. Marissa Evans, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2023 MoneyBagg penned a heartfelt letter to his fans explaining his hiatus and decision to return to the music space, with the new music slated for a May 26 release date. Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 11 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decision.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English decisioun, borrowed from Anglo-French decision "judgment" (Middle French also "act of deciding, coming to a definitive conclusion"), borrowed from Latin dēcīsiōn-, dēcīsio "curtailment, diminishment, settlement, agreement," from dēcīdere "to cut off, cut out, mark by cutting, settle, choose as a course of action" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at decide

Verb

derivative of decision entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decision was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near decision

Cite this Entry

“Decision.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decision. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

decision

noun
de·​ci·​sion
di-ˈsizh-ən
1
: the act or result of deciding
the decision of the court
2
: promptness and firmness in deciding : determination
a leader of courage and decision

Legal Definition

decision

noun
de·​ci·​sion di-ˈsi-zhən How to pronounce decision (audio)
: an authoritative determination (as a decree or judgment) made after consideration of facts or law
also : a report or document containing such a determination see also memorandum decision compare disposition, finding, holding, judgment, opinion, ruling, verdict

Note: A decision, while being an authoritative determination of a disputed issue, does not have to be a final determination closing the case. Some interlocutory decisions may be appealed.

decisional adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on decision

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