as in determination
firm or unwavering adherence to one's purpose
moved with speed and decisiveness in investigating the charges of the use of excessive force by the police
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Recent Examples of decisiveness
Adam Wharton, 22, is liked by people at United for his progressive passing and decisiveness on the ball.
—
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Apple gets a new CEO who is expected to bring back Jobs-era decisiveness.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
After all, confidence and decisiveness are hallmark traits of executive presence, a quality long sought by boards, taught at top business schools, and used at performance review time as a catch-all descriptor to either promote or shelve C-suite hopefuls.
—Harvard Business Review, 1 Apr. 2026
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and the head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, have been models of clarity, calm, and decisiveness.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond his onstage excellence, Grady runs our props department with remarkable effectiveness and decisiveness.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The challenge is balancing decisiveness with collaboration, and speed with thoughtful input.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2026
Your decisiveness invites others to join you.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Quiet leaders know when restraint will serve the moment and when decisiveness is necessary.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Apple gets a new CEO who is expected to bring back Jobs-era decisiveness.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 Apr. 2026
After all, confidence and decisiveness are hallmark traits of executive presence, a quality long sought by boards, taught at top business schools, and used at performance review time as a catch-all descriptor to either promote or shelve C-suite hopefuls.
—Harvard Business Review, 1 Apr. 2026
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and the head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, have been models of clarity, calm, and decisiveness.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond his onstage excellence, Grady runs our props department with remarkable effectiveness and decisiveness.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The challenge is balancing decisiveness with collaboration, and speed with thoughtful input.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2026
Your decisiveness invites others to join you.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Quiet leaders know when restraint will serve the moment and when decisiveness is necessary.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
-
Bates also expressed concern that, under the Administration’s view of the case, its determination that the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional cannot be challenged in court.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
There is a hyper awareness to TSADACM, a determination to point out each of its Easter eggs and allusions, lest the viewer think Schoenbrun is trying to outsmart anyone.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
And Tuesday, Cypress was able to manufacture a run in the seventh to leave him with a no decision.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
-
Parting ways with Morey was ultimately not an easy decision for the 76ers, but Philadelphia’s inability to take the next step in a constantly changing East played a significant role in the organization’s direction.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Because of my resolve on this, unlike that of our current House leadership, this campaign is also endorsed by Courage for Democracy.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 May 2026
Noun
-
His persistence in teaching, even under Lomax’s punitive schedules, shows his resilience.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
-
Four years after graduating from college, my persistence, patience, and a bit of luck paid off.—
Andy Strasberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
His loving, pragmatic wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), gamely downsizes their middle-class life to fit their new reality — but her resoluteness only exacerbates his despair.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decisiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisiveness. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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