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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decisiveness
Visual clarity has become a visible marker of decisiveness.
—
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 24 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
Skiing demands preparation and decisiveness, reinforcing the importance of trust, momentum, and resilience.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
One clear weakness, though, is Oladokun’s decisiveness against the rush.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Speed, decisiveness, intensity—these traits have become shorthand for executive effectiveness in today’s business culture.
—Rahul Bhandari, Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2025
Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 24 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
Skiing demands preparation and decisiveness, reinforcing the importance of trust, momentum, and resilience.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
One clear weakness, though, is Oladokun’s decisiveness against the rush.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
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
Speed, decisiveness, intensity—these traits have become shorthand for executive effectiveness in today’s business culture.
—Rahul Bhandari, Harvard Business Review, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
-
Her remarks appear to be a preview of the board's ultimate determination regarding the 2025 crash.—
Adam Carlson,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The gifts skiing has given me—not just the joy, but the appreciation for wilderness, the determination and grit and feeling of accomplishment, the ability to talk to random strangers on chairlifts—as a parent, these are as important to instill in her as curiosity and kindness.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a decision filed last week in Fulton County Superior Court, District Attorney Fani Willis said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Patty Durand for stealing trade secrets, which is a felony.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Trump, too, downplayed his decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan, who himself is controversial after in 2024 alleging accepting $50,000 in cash from FBI agents pretending to be business executives seeking government, to Minneapolis.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Her third album, Vacancy, documents this sense of resolve.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
-
What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rye and apple brandy are fast friends—the apple brandy adding an autumnal echo to rye’s grainy persistence.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Passion and persistence powered the effort.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
22 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 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
