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
Critical in today’s joint operations—but must not substitute decisiveness with consensus.
—
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, when countered with decisiveness, Putin has retreated.
—Kathleen Collins, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Leadership takes decisiveness, and there couldn’t have been higher stakes for me.
—Dru Armstrong, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Speed, decisiveness, intensity—these traits have become shorthand for executive effectiveness in today’s business culture.
—Rahul Bhandari, Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2025
Still, the decisiveness with which Nix delivered the ball, trusting both the protection in front of him and what his eyes were seeing with the defense, was encouraging.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The impact of synthetic users revolves around speed and decisiveness.
—Dmytro Spilka, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Executing this might mean a leader not only communicates the risks of inaction but also models decisiveness themselves.
—Sheri Bachstein, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The decisiveness of Canberra’s actions is a measure of the extremity of Iran’s behavior.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, when countered with decisiveness, Putin has retreated.
—Kathleen Collins, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025
Leadership takes decisiveness, and there couldn’t have been higher stakes for me.
—Dru Armstrong, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Speed, decisiveness, intensity—these traits have become shorthand for executive effectiveness in today’s business culture.
—Rahul Bhandari, Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2025
Still, the decisiveness with which Nix delivered the ball, trusting both the protection in front of him and what his eyes were seeing with the defense, was encouraging.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
The impact of synthetic users revolves around speed and decisiveness.
—Dmytro Spilka, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Executing this might mean a leader not only communicates the risks of inaction but also models decisiveness themselves.
—Sheri Bachstein, Time, 18 Sep. 2025
The decisiveness of Canberra’s actions is a measure of the extremity of Iran’s behavior.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
-
Like her unprecedented sapphire engagement ring, her wedding tiara represented a determination to stay true to herself.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Here in California, our determination to defend our own laws, to hold fast to climate protections and civil rights, felt no longer like partisanship but survival.—
Jonathan Taplin,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The prose looks polished, charts look clean, and a single percentage point buried in the model quietly pushes the decision in a different direction.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
His reckless decision to escalate the aggression and number of immigration agents is a causal factor, regardless of the outcome of an investigation into this tragic death.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The controller described an industry held together by human endurance more than institutional support, one that depends on overtime, unpaid labor, and the quiet resolve of those who still show up.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
-
But Hawley showed its resolve by racing back on a 4-0 run.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
His story is one of persistence, leadership and a lasting commitment to helping others.—
Malana VanTyler,
Sacbee.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
The photo captures a moment when frozen lagoons, sea ice, and shoreline all coexist in mid-June, a useful context for understanding seasonal ice persistence in a region where timing affects ecosystems, coastal erosion and human activity.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
2 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 2026.
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