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

No matter what the reason is, take a moment to see what your other options are before deciding to transfer. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "How To Transfer Colleges When You Think You Want To Switch Schools," 27 Dec. 2018 Manhattan local prosecutors are pursuing a related criminal case against Mr. Manafort, The Wall Street Journal and others reported Friday, which could proceed if President Trump decides to pardon Mr. Manafort of the federal crimes. — Aruna Viswanatha, WSJ, "Paul Manafort Committed ‘Bold’ Crimes, Mueller’s Team Says," 23 Feb. 2019 Ultimately the Amazon team led by Chief Executive Jeff Bezos decided to pull the plug, people familiar with the matter said. — Katie Honan, WSJ, "Amazon Cancels HQ2 Plans in New York City," 15 Feb. 2019 In 1997, however, the CIA’s then-director, George Tenet, decided to declassify the operation. — Sam Walker, WSJ, "The Offbeat Genius of a Great American Spy," 26 Jan. 2019 In 2020, when a Democrat will need Florida to have a shot at the Oval Office, this population, whom Democrats have fought for, could decide the race. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "A Pep Talk for Democrats: It's OK. We Won.," 7 Nov. 2018 In August, Kroll and Lightspeed’s Jeremy Liew, an early investor who is on HQ’s board, decided that Kroll should take over as CEO. — Kurt Wagner, Recode, "HQ Trivia was a blockbuster hit — but internal turmoil and a shrinking audience have pushed it to the brink," 5 Nov. 2018 This is an optional subscription service that flags sites containing adult, violent, and other unwanted content and allows parents to decide which kinds of sites their children can visit. — Michael Brown, PCWorld, "Belkin takes the wraps off its Linksys Max Stream AC2200 Wi-Fi router," 7 Jan. 2019 Remember in the early 2000s when Heinz decided to make purple- and green-colored ketchup? — Stacey Grant, Seventeen, "14 Outrageous Facts About Nickelodeon Slime," 10 Dec. 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.