decide

verb

de·cide | \di-ˈsīd,

dē-\

decided; deciding

Definition of decide

transitive verb

1a : to make a final choice or judgment about decide what to do couldn't decide whether to take the job or not

b : to select as a course of action —used with an infinitive decided to go

c : to infer on the basis of evidence : conclude They decided that he was right.

2 : to bring to a definitive end one blow decided the fight

3 : to induce to come to a choice her pleas decided him to help

intransitive verb

: to make a choice or judgment decide on where to go

Other Words from decide Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about decide

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Choose the Right Synonym for decide

decide, determine, settle, rule, resolve mean to come or cause to come to a conclusion. decide implies previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy. she decided to sell her house determine implies fixing the identity, character, scope, or direction of something. determined the cause of the problem settle implies a decision reached by someone with power to end all dispute or uncertainty. the dean's decision settled the campus alcohol policy rule implies a determination by judicial or administrative authority. the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something. he resolved to quit smoking

Examples of decide in a Sentence

He decided that dinner would be at 7 o'clock, and asked guests to arrive at 6. She is having difficulty deciding about the offer. They decided that he was right. I am trying to decide if it's warm enough for swimming. “Do you think she is telling the truth?” “I'm not sure. I'm still trying to decide.” A few hundred votes could decide the election. One blow decided the fight. This battle could very well decide the war. Will the business be successful? Let the public decide. The case will be decided by the Supreme Court.

Recent Examples on the Web

Maybe there was a death, or maybe all the women decide to move to Connecticut. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Chris Noth Says Mr. Big Wouldn't Have Died in Sex and the City 3," 3 Dec. 2018 The speaker is the leader of the House caucus office has a large part in deciding what bills can actually make it to the floor, giving them huge power to shape the party’s legislative agenda. — Ella Nilsen, Vox, "All the Democrats running for top spots in the House," 15 Nov. 2018 The chief justice currently has constitutional autonomy in deciding how the system spends the $139 million budget. — John Raby, The Seattle Times, "Impeachment focus back on W.Va. court after justice resigns," 13 Nov. 2018 The difficulties continue after Eddie and her new partner Maya (Yasha Thompson) decide not to step-in during a conflict at a corner store, and Jamie is not happy with their lack of response. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Next Week's 'Blue Bloods' Episode Reveals That Frank Reagan Is Battling a Serious Lawsuit," 26 Oct. 2018 And to make matters worse, Google found out about it in the spring and decided not to tell anyone, reports the Wall Street Journal. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Google is shutting down Google+ after it exposed user data and neglected to tell anyone," 8 Oct. 2018 If appealed, the Supreme Court could consider the issue again, this time with Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the seat once occupied by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who held the deciding vote on the partisan gerrymander issue. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Federal Court Strikes Down Maryland Gerrymander," 7 Nov. 2018 Amazon’s bid process, which specifically included subsidies as one of the deciding factors, has been criticized as an example of the problems with corporate subsidies and economic development. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Amazon HQ2 winner appears to be both New York and Crystal City, Virginia," 6 Nov. 2018 The late Senator John McCain was the deciding vote. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Bernie Sanders Believes the 2018 Midterms Are a Chance for Young Voters to "Transform America"," 2 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.