decisive

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

Other Words from decisive Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about decisive

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

Yet, at the EU level, the increasing political differences among the 28 countries—presumably soon to be 27 after Brexit—make decisive policy-making highly problematic. — Stephen Fidler, WSJ, "Europe’s Political Funk Sets Back Its Economy," 23 Jan. 2019 But Republican policymakers still seem quite far from taking decisive action on this front. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Republicans are mad at Google for search bias—will they do anything about it?," 12 Dec. 2018 There's a reason the first carrier came out of the U.K. While the Royal Navy was convinced this blazing new technology had a big future, the United States Navy resisted the idea of carriers as a decisive weapon at sea. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "As It Begins Its Second Century, Is the Aircraft Carrier Obsolete?," 5 Nov. 2018 Nick Evans, Santiago Scheele and Jake Butter all doubled during an eight-run sixth inning as Plantation turned a 3-1 advantage into a decisive outcome. — Rick Menning, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Plantation, Coconut Creek All-Stars win Little League sectional semifinal games," 14 July 2018 The decisive matchups In a constellation of talent taking the field, a few players stand out. — Hayden Bird, BostonGlobe.com, "What to know about the World Cup title match," 14 July 2018 Giroud did at least have a part to play in the decisive opener as, after his shot was deflected wide, Griezmann's corner was flicked in at the near post by Umtiti. — Kieran Canning, chicagotribune.com, "Umtiti heads France into World Cup final as Belgium fall short," 10 July 2018 Borrego’s agenda is to play at a faster pace (particularly attacking defenses more in the first five to eight seconds of possessions) and an emphasis on quick, decisive ball movement. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "A Charlotte Hornets positional analysis: Kemba Walker but then ...," 8 July 2018 Appropriately enough, the decisive episode took place on a train, during Girard’s commute from Baltimore to Bryn Mawr College. — Frank Wilson, Philly.com, "'Evolution of Desire': René Girard, a man in full," 6 July 2018

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.