decisive

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adjective de·ci·sive \ di-ˈsī-siv \

Definition of decisive

1 :having the power or quality of deciding

The council president cast the decisive vote.

a decisive battle

2 :resolute, determined

a decisive manner

decisive leaders

a decisive editor

3 :unmistakable, unquestionable

a decisive superiority

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decisively

adverb

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decisiveness

noun

See decisive defined for English-language learners

See decisive defined for kids

Examples of decisive in a Sentence

You must be decisive and persistent to succeed in this competitive field.
I stood there wondering what to do, but my sister was more decisive and immediately went to the phone.
The fight ended with a decisive blow.
the decisive battle of the war
The poverty of his childhood played a decisive role in his adult life.
The meeting is seen as a decisive step toward a peace treaty.

Recent Examples of decisive from the Web

Instead of anger and decisive ferocity, there was nuance and prudence from the police, despite the fact that there were protesters in Charlottesville who came armed with rifles, looking like a military unit prowling the streets.

— lincoln anthony blades, Teen Vogue, "Dear Police, Why Are You Treating White Supremacists Better Than Nonviolent Black Activists?," 18 Aug. 2017
Johnny, the villain of the Karate Kid films, had a decisive swoosh of blond hair that obscured his headband.

— amy larocca, The Cut, "The Politics of Blondness, From Aphrodite to Ivanka," 10 Aug. 2017
Our team is committed to take decisive action quickly.

— linda loyd, Philly.com, "Teva Pharmaceutical will cut 7,000 jobs and close plants to reduce costs," 3 Aug. 2017
The latest — a repeal bill in the Senate that fell apart, 51-49, with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) casting a decisive vote — occurred Friday in the early morning hours.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "Obamacare’s History Littered With Near-Death Experiences," 28 July 2017
Once ties with Rome had been sundered, however, there was little to stop a more decisive break from tradition.

— jeff cimmino, National Review, "The Anglican Church Is Forsaking Tradition and Moral Truth," 28 July 2017
Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 ....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

— megan friedman, Cosmopolitan, "The Military Spends More on Viagra Than It Would on Medical Care for Trans People," 26 July 2017
In all, seven runs scored in that decisive inning as Davidson’s season ended with a 12-6 loss.

— walter villa, miamiherald, "College baseball player from Miami, teammates test the ‘magic in the burritos’," 13 July 2017
Back then, Fultz finished with 16 points and scored the decisive points on two foul shots with 26.1 seconds remaining.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Markelle Fultz scores 17 points in summer-league debut," 4 July 2017

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

First Known Use of decisive

1584

decisive Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of decisive

conclusive, decisive, determinative, definitive mean bringing to an end. conclusive applies to reasoning or logical proof that puts an end to debate or questioning.

- conclusive evidence

decisive may apply to something that ends a controversy, a contest, or any uncertainty.

- a decisive battle

determinative adds an implication of giving a fixed character or direction.

- the determinative factor in the court's decision

definitive applies to what is put forth as final and permanent.

- the definitive biography

DECISIVE Defined for English Language Learners

decisive

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adjective

Definition of decisive for English Language Learners

: able to make choices quickly and confidently
: causing something to end in a particular way : determining what the result of something will be
: very clear and obvious