decide

verb de·cide \ di-ˈsīd , dē- \

Definition of decide

decided; deciding

transitive verb

1 a :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

—

decider

noun

See decide defined for English-language learners

See decide defined for kids

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 of decide from the Web

Attorneys for 11 of the 17 defendants are still waiting to make their final arguments, before District Judge Allen Sinclair will decide whether to send charges to county court for trial.

— Washington Post, "Judge nearing decision in Penn State frat death hearing," 31 Aug. 2017
Arsenal have emerged as favourites to sign wantaway Schalke attacker Max Meyer after the youngster decided to seek new first team opportunities away from the Bundesliga side.

— SI.com, "Arsenal Target Move for Max Meyer After the Youngster Refuses to Reach New Deal With Schalke," 30 Aug. 2017
The program was searching for offense well before last season ended, well before athletic director David Benedict decided to fire Bob Diaco, and the search continues.

— mike anthony, courant.com, "As Usual, Questions About The Offense Surface As UConn Opener Approaches," 29 Aug. 2017
In other words, the committee was intended to help the nation decide how best to act on the information contained in a scientific report.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "US government burying head deeper in sand on climate change," 28 Aug. 2017
Failure to comply with any provision of the order could result in the Department of Financial Service’s appointment, and ultimately, the department could decide whether to place the company in rehabilitation or liquidation, the order states.

— ron hurtibise, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Guarantee Insurance of Fort Lauderdale reorganizing under state supervision," 28 Aug. 2017
READ MORE: NR Editorial: Trump’s Afghan Escalation President Trump Decided Not to Lose the War The Afghan War Is America’s Most Democratic Conflict — Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities.

— daniel depetris, National Review, "Five Questions for Trump on Afghanistan," 27 Aug. 2017
With Conor McGregor and Floyd Money Mayweather ready to put it all on the line in an MMA fighter vs. boxer boxing match, two other athletes from differing sports decided to test their mettle against each other in a special challenge grudge match.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Dolphins Jay Ajayi vs. WWE Samoa Joe in special challenge match," 26 Aug. 2017
About 50 to 60 percent of residents decided to stay in Rockport through the storm, despite the life-threatening storm surges, officials told CNN.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "Hurricane Harvey Is Now A Tropical Storm," 26 Aug. 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of decide

Middle English, from Latin decidere, literally, to cut off, from de- + caedere to cut

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

decide Synonyms

Synonyms

choose, conclude, determine, figure, name, opt, resolve, settle (on or upon)

Related Words

decree, rule; cull, elect, handpick, pick, prefer, select, single (out); adjudge, adjudicate, arbitrate, find, judge, referee, rule (on), umpire; chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, meditate, mull (over), ponder, question, ruminate, study, think (about or over), weigh

Near Antonyms

abstain, decline, refuse, reject, turn down; delay, halt, hesitate, stall, temporize; shilly-shally, vacillate, waffle, waver

Synonym Discussion of 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

DECIDE Defined for English Language Learners

decide

verb

Definition of decide for English Language Learners

: to make a choice about (something) : to choose (something) after thinking about it
: to choose whether or not to believe (something) after thinking about it : to reach a conclusion about (something) because of evidence
: to cause (something) to end in a particular way : to determine what the result of (something) will be