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
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
While Minshew could return, Reid could consider Marcus Mariota, who started eight games for the Washington Commanders in 2025 and has the mobility and decisiveness Reid likes in a quarterback.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
Losing franchise cornerstones Shea Weber and Carey Price to career-ending injuries made that decision more obvious, but Canadiens owner Geoff Molson deserves credit for his decisiveness.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
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
While Minshew could return, Reid could consider Marcus Mariota, who started eight games for the Washington Commanders in 2025 and has the mobility and decisiveness Reid likes in a quarterback.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
Losing franchise cornerstones Shea Weber and Carey Price to career-ending injuries made that decision more obvious, but Canadiens owner Geoff Molson deserves credit for his decisiveness.
—Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
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Use that Martian heat to scaffold your own determination, strengthening you to handle long-term commitment.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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No stadium lights, no sponsors, just sheer determination.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Your disciplined streak works best with warmth at the moment, so add kindness to every firm decision, and people should be more inclined to accept your guidance.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The zoning board said in court documents that the decision was legal and based on substantial evidence while being in the public interest and in line with city code.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For example, postpartum hair shedding often starts around three to five months post-childbirth, and resolves on its own within three to six months.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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The war is also likely to harden the regime’s resolve to obtain a nuclear weapon, experts say.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For Samuel, Sargool and Yousif, the recognition speaks to the years of persistence and hard work that went into forming the program in order to help students feel more valued in their language and culture.—
Alexandra Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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What stands out is a common thread of persistence and impact.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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 10 Apr. 2026.
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