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
nounFrom the M-W Editors
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
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In all, seven runs scored in that decisive inning as Davidson’s season ended with a 12-6 loss.
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Back then, Fultz finished with 16 points and scored the decisive points on two foul shots with 26.1 seconds remaining.
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Exum certainly stood out in the first half with strong drives to the basket and decisive offense.
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But back to that potentially-decisive penalty kick in the 74th minute.
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But where would the Indians find the decisive third point to win dual matches?
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The Senate is beginning a potentially decisive week in the GOP’s long-running and arduous attempt to roll back the Affordable Care Act.
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Will Mitch McConnell be able to wield his L.B.J.–esque powers in the upper chamber to deliver a decisive victory for Donald Trump, his wife’s boss?
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But as Plan Colombia proved, international support at this critical juncture could be the decisive factor in ensuring a turn-around.
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
Synonym Discussion of decisive
DECISIVE Defined for English Language Learners
decisive
playDefinition of decisive for English Language Learners
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: able to make choices quickly and confidently
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: causing something to end in a particular way : determining what the result of something will be
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: 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
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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
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