decision

noun

de·ci·sion | \ di-ˈsi-zhən

Definition of decision

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

4a : 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

decision

verb

decisioned; decisioning; decisions

Definition of decision (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from decision Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about decision

Keep scrolling for more

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

In the meantime, the Lightfoot administration needs to start making hard decisions about how to balance the 2020 budget the City Council needs to approve before the end of the year. — John Byrne, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot faces limited options to fill deep city budget hole," 15 June 2019 Auditors also found that the board did not verify these participation totals, resulting in errors that increased the risk that the board will make decisions based on inaccurate information. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Auditors urge better monitoring of program for nurses battling chemical dependency," 14 June 2019 While the child is still in utero, the surrogate will agree to make decisions that do not harm the child, unless her own health could be compromised. — Ben Tinker, CNN, "The top 10 questions about surrogacy for same-sex couples, answered," 14 June 2019 Republicans on the panel, however, said the move was a political attack by Democrats, unfairly restricting the president’s ability to make even minor decisions. — Ana Radelat, courant.com, "Rep. Courtney to Trump: Hold the paint job on Air Force One," 13 June 2019 The Phil who hit a preposterous shot off pine straw on his way to a Masters triumph is the same Phil who made two horrendous decisions at Winged Foot. — Michael Rosenberg, SI.com, "Phil Mickelson Can Only Blame Himself for Opening Round at U.S. Open," 13 June 2019 That's the representation of our work to the people who make decisions, right. — CBS News, "Transcript: Nada Bakos talks with Michael Morell on "Intelligence Matters"," 12 June 2019 But meeting that soon to make decisions on development issues would be too soon, Kelly said. — Erin Hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Ryan Cos. pulled from leadership role running 5th Avenue steering committee over conflict of interest concerns," 12 June 2019 This is becoming my only advice in life right now: Don't make decisions out of fear or shame. — Zan Romanoff, Bon Appétit, "Two Writers on the Joys of Being Single, But Also Sometimes Dating, in Your 30s," 12 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The first period also included Scott Laughton decisioning Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy in a fight. — Sam Carchidi, Philly.com, "Radko Gudas injured as Flyers fall to Crawford, Blackhawks," 1 Nov. 2017 Chris Early of Don Juan Avila decisioned Seth Lyon of Niguel Hills and four other finalists to win bodyboarding. — Fred Swegles, Orange County Register, "Shorecliffs surfers win O.C. event at San Clemente pier," 28 Mar. 2017

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about decision

Dictionary Entries near decision

Statistics for decision

Last Updated

17 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for decision

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for decision

decision

noun

English Language Learners Definition of decision

: a choice that you make about something after thinking about it : the result of deciding

formal : the ability to make choices quickly and confidently

: the particular end of a legal or official argument : a legal or official judgment

See the full definition for decision in the English Language Learners Dictionary

decision

noun

de·ci·sion | \ di-ˈsi-zhən

Kids Definition of decision

1 : the act or result of making a choice especially after careful thought “… I have come to a very important decision. These are the wrong sort of bees.”— A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

2 : the ability to make choices quickly and confidently She was a leader of courage and decision.

decision

noun

de·ci·sion | \ di-ˈsi-zhən

Legal Definition of decision

: 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.