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
Legal experts say the speed and decisiveness of the Department of Justice’s proposed antitrust settlement with OhioHealth should put other hospitals on notice.
—
Tara Bannow,
STAT,
17 June 2026
The final was 4-0, which undersold its decisiveness.
—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Following his Game 1 sluggishness, Wembanyama played with more aggression and decisiveness.
—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
But Pressure is less a war story, rapt with the hysteria of battlefield deeds, than an intense exposition on the human capacity to tolerate uncertainty at a time when decisiveness is an imperative for action.
—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
The encounter is ostensibly intended to demonstrate the kind of ruthless decisiveness that Eisenhower would have needed in wartime.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
The club has also lost Jim Rutherford’s experience, executive decisiveness and relationships, with the former president withdrawing from the day to day and becoming an adviser.
—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
19 May 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
Tara Bannow,
STAT,
17 June 2026
The final was 4-0, which undersold its decisiveness.
—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Following his Game 1 sluggishness, Wembanyama played with more aggression and decisiveness.
—
Mark Medina,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
But Pressure is less a war story, rapt with the hysteria of battlefield deeds, than an intense exposition on the human capacity to tolerate uncertainty at a time when decisiveness is an imperative for action.
—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
The encounter is ostensibly intended to demonstrate the kind of ruthless decisiveness that Eisenhower would have needed in wartime.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 May 2026
The club has also lost Jim Rutherford’s experience, executive decisiveness and relationships, with the former president withdrawing from the day to day and becoming an adviser.
—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
19 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
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Croatia returned from the hydration break with determination, forcing Panama to play its game for the first time so far.
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Sayers, however, appealed the OOR’s determination to the Centre County Court of Common Pleas.
Noun
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Harry has fought the decision in court to reinstate security, citing safety concerns for his wife and children, the outlet shared.
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The latest decision marks another step toward advancing one of the country’s key uranium development projects.
Noun
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And then the case either resolves or there's a lawsuit by the EEOC or by the private party.
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This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
Noun
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In a business built on people, persistence, and long-term thinking, investors who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset can position themselves to uncover opportunities, create value, and build lasting success even in the most competitive markets.
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Mighty Mary is a rousing story of courage, teamwork and persistence, revealing how one bold act can ripple outward to shift culture, expand possibility and open doors for generations to come.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Decisiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisiveness. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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