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
decisively
adverbdecisiveness
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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
-
Buoyed by a raucous hometown crowd, the reappearance of a confident Pekka Rinne, and offensive contributions from their third and fourth lines, the Nashville Predators had a decisive 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
-
After what seemed like forever, the NBA Finals got underway Thursday with the Warrios scoring a decisive Game One victory over the Cavs.
-
The decision ends a months-long courtroom struggle between U.S. prosecutors and defense lawyers over the roles of Giuliani and Mukasey in the case, without a decisive win for either side.
-
Those three states proved decisive for President Trump and, especially in the case of Michigan and Wisconsin, were neglected by the Clinton campaign.
-
Kennedy walked three and unleashed 41 pitches in the decisive inning, which Tigers outfielder Justin Upton finished off with a two-run double before departing the game because of a leg injury.
-
The decisive rally came from Kevin Kisner, who bagged four back-nine birdies at Colonial Country Club — including three in a row at Nos.
-
That’s because Kennedy, closer to the ideological center of the court than any of his colleagues, often casts the decisive vote when the court is otherwise split between conservatives and liberals.
-
The latest contest ended with a little controversy, as Newport Harbor was on the verge of forcing a decisive fifth set, until one of the referees called a red card on Ethan Talley for using profanity after his kill.
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.
1584
First Known Use of decisive
1584
Synonym Discussion of decisive
DECISIVE Defined for English Language Learners
decisive
playDefinition 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
DECISIVE Defined for Kids
decisive
playDefinition of decisive for Students
1 : causing something to end in a certain way The lawyer offered decisive proof.
2 : unmistakable, unquestionable a decisive victory
3 : firmly determined He began in a decisive manner.
decisively
adverbLearn More about decisive
-
See words that rhyme with decisive Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for decisive Spanish Central: Translation of decisive Nglish: Translation of decisive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of decisive for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up decisive? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!